The Life With Monster Girls
by Soleneus
Summary: Saul Dewitt is an average man living in Japan, having moved there from America, buying a house from a nice family with a kid. While he's there, the existence of Liminals, people with animal features is revealed, along with a bill and a program to exchange cultures, and he is chosen to host one. And, well, life changes. A lot. A Self-Insert, for the most part.
1. Meeting the Homestay

It was a sunny day in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, with fluffy white clouds lazily drifting through an otherwise spotless sky, the sun shining down through the windows of a large two-story house.

At a desk with a rather expensive computer, in a comfortable chair made for long hours of sitting, a man sat back with a sigh, nervously tapping his fingers on his thigh, the blank white document page taunting him. The shine coming from the screen reflected off of his glasses as he fruitlessly brushed his hands over the keyboard, his mind far, far away.

 _My name is Saul Dewitt. I used to live in America, and I was raised in Washington. I've always loved writing, and I mean 'always'. I started when I was nine, and the first thing I wrote got me my first A+ ever…though that was more because my teacher then was an old bitch._

 _I've worked small jobs in my teens, and once I had enough money, I bought myself a computer and, in the span of nearly a year, I wrote my first novel. It was a moderate success. It didn't make the world explode, but it still sold, and there was plenty of demand for a sequel. I found a good publisher and editor, an old friend of mine, and signed a book deal for a whole series, six books in total._

 _They sold well, and I ended up with plenty of money. I used that money to get Japanese lessons, and once I was fluent enough, I bought a house in the suburbs of Tokyo._

 _The deal I got on it was a steal, frankly. The family who used to live here, a mom, dad and son, were desperate to sell, citing something about their kid getting attacked by…some sort of monster person._

 _I thought that was bullshit, but I bought it anyway and moved in. I also bought a gun, just in case. And Krav Maga lessons. And some ninja lessons, but_ that _is a whole other story._

 _That was three years ago._

 _I like this place. It's far enough away that traffic isn't a problem, and it's not because I don't have a car, but not far away enough the groceries aren't wildly price-gouged. And the internet is fast, too._

 _So, after about two and a half years of living in my new place, writing a couple more moderately successful books in the meantime, something world-changing happened._

 _At the time, I thought it was an elaborate hoax, as I'm sure many people did._

 _They call them, 'Liminals', or humanoid creatures with a mixture of animal and human traits. Like the Centaurs, half-horse-half-human; the Harpies, half-human-half-bird; or the Mermaids, half-human-half-fish. Though, most people call them monsters._

 _Apparently, the government has known about them for a long time, and were just now beginning to integrate us and them together so we could live peacefully._

 _It's a nice sentiment, and naturally, there was quite the vocal opposition to the idea, but the with powers combined of the Otaku, the Furries, just plain fucking weirdoes and people who actually wanted to know more about alien cultures, like myself, out-voted them by the vast majority and passed the Cultural Exchange Between Species Bill, which led to the Cultural Exchange Between Species Program. Why am I mentioning that?_

 _Hold your damn horses and I'll tell you._

 _So, after the bill was passed, ratified and all that good shit, I closed the news page and went back to playing Mass Effect, patting my back for my small part in changing the world, and I thought that was that._

 _My day usually starts pretty early, around seven or eight. I go for a morning walk or a jog sometimes, grab a shower and breakfast, then secure my laptop and take a walk down to a local coffee shop for a cup of actually not-that-bad coffee and a breakfast sandwich. The cute waitresses may also factor into my decision to visit that place regularly, but I will deny the shit out of that._

 _One day, I sat down with my usual and almost instantly spotted someone who didn't fit. Most people wear casual clothing to a coffee shop, unless they're a business person who's just stopping by for a pick-me-up._

 _This person wore a suit. The first thing I thought when I saw her was, 'She's part of the government.' Her suit was black; actually, all of her clothing was black, except for the shirt underneath the jacket. She wore stockings, heels, and her jacket was very tight around her exceptional bust, and she was pretty tall. And her hair went down to her lower back._

 _What the hell is it with Japan and hair long enough to present a safety hazard?_

 _Anyway, I remembered seeing this beautiful suited woman around for the past couple of weeks, ever since the bill got passed, actually. I never could tell because she wore black sunglasses, but I could've sworn she was looking at me the whole time._

 _I won't lie, I've been called handsome, 'ruggedly handsome' for the most part, and in Japan, my easily tanning skin, platinum brown hair, ice-blue eyes (my mom's words) and general stature made it pretty clear that I'm foreign, and a chunk of the girls I've gone out with was entirely because I'm considered 'exotic'. I'm not a model. I do my best to keep in shape and eat healthy, and I'm taller than most people in Japan, but I'm no model._

 _So, I figured she was looking at the foreigner and left it at that. But this day was different._

 _Usually, she sat in the corner of the room, sipping what I think is espresso, looking out at the room through eye-concealing sunglasses. But this time, she was sitting at the table I usually take, and she was looking directly at me with sharp brown eyes._

" _Why don't you join me for a chat?" She asked politely, gesturing at the chair across from her._

 _I took a seat, wondering why someone like this would want to talk to me. All my paperwork had been done and filed years ago…unless she was Yakuza, but then what the fuck would they want with an author? "Sure. What's your name?" I greeted, taking a seat and setting my food down._

" _You can call me Ms. Smith," She replied easily._

 _I was tempted to make a crack about the Matrix, but decided against it. She had a gun hidden on her, and I'd rather not anger someone with a gun. "Alright, Ms. Smith, is there a reason you're talking to me? No offense, but someone like you must have a reason."_

" _Oh?" Smith quirked an eyebrow. "Someone like me?"_

 _I took a sip of my coffee. "A government person. Who else wears black suits on a summer day?" I replied dryly._

 _A small smile bent her lips, but that disappeared quickly. "I'll get right to the point, Mr. Dewitt, we've been watching you for a couple of weeks. We noticed your vehement approval of the recent Extraspecies bill, and I would like to talk to you about it."_

 _Swallowing the bite of sandwich, I replied, "What about it?" I can't imagine they would want to chide me about something they pushed forward, but you never know._

 _She pulled out her phone and unlocked it, looking at the screen. "It says here that you left a comment on a news page, reading, 'I wouldn't mind letting one of them stay at my place. Think of how interesting that would be for both of us.' And I want to know if you still consider that a valid opinion."_

" _Well, yeah. If one of them wanted, I would definitely let them stay at my place." I said calmly. "Other cultures have always fascinated me, and here are a whole slew of new ones most people barely know anything about."_

 _A heavy packed of papers slammed onto the table, shaking my cup of coffee. "Read that and if it sounds agreeable, call this number." She ordered politely, dropping a card on top of the stack._

 _Something was definitely going on, so I took that tome of wonders back to my house and read through it._

 _And I was very surprised, to say the least. It was a contract of sorts, asking me if I'd like to invite a member of the Extraspecies to my house for a home-stay, and what rules I'd have to follow and where to get information._

 _Naturally, I signed the contract and called the number, and the person on the other line informed me that someone would be by to pick up the contract and I would be contacted when an Extraspecies person would be coming._

 _That was about a month ago, and I haven't heard anything since, not until this morning. My handler, Ms. Smith, would be coming by with someone for the home-stay. According to the information they gave me, which didn't include a species or a name, it said that they would like high, spacious rooms._

 _My attic didn't have much in it besides a few boxes and a menagerie of dust animals, so I cleaned it out and now I'm just-_

"-Waiting." Saul finished his thought, sighing out loud. Nervousness was prevalent in his features, his feet tapping the floor and his fingers tapping the desk. He was just waiting for the bell to ring, and little else had been on his mind.

 _Is it going to be a centaur, or a harpy? Harpies would like a spacious area and high places, so that might be it. If it's a Harpy, then it'll definitely be a girl…well, that'll be kind of weird. But I can deal._ He thought, eyes glazing. _But, what if-_

His doorbell rang, making Saul jump in his seat. Shutting off the computer and opening the blinds, he strode to the door, nervously combing his hair with his fingers. With one hand on the doorknob, he took a deep, bracing breath, and turned the handle.

"Mr. Dewitt," Smith greeted him politely, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

He smiled nervously at her and stuck his hand out for a shake. "If we're going to be meeting often, I'd prefer it if you called me Saul."

Smith shook his hand, her smile becoming just a little more genuine. "I'll keep that in mind, Saul. Are you ready to meet your new roommate?" She asked carefully.

Sighing a little, Saul nodded his head. "Yes, yes I am."

Nodding, the government agent turned to a similarly-suited person standing next to a cargo truck and waved. "Open the door!"

With a loud rattle, the door was pushed open, and something stepped out.

The first thing Saul saw was a leg. Not a human leg. It was long, black, and jointed strangely, with some sort of armor covering it and a very sharp tip. It reminded the author of a mix between a spear and a katana.

Ms. Smith noticed the wide-eyes the man was sporting and kept an eye on his reaction, just to be safe.

Then, the Liminal fully stepped out of the truck.

Saul's jaw dropped.

Eight long, black armored legs supported a wide body, a familiar body, but magnified by a large factor. The back was rounder then the rest of the body, tapering off to a point and decorated with what looked like a human skull, though stretched and deformed. In front of that was the middle of the body, which the legs connected to, and where that ended, an entirely different body began.

She had fair, nearing pale skin and lavender hair that brushed over her shoulders, with six solid-red eyes; two where they'd be on a human, and four progressively smaller ones above those. She wore strange clothes, mostly black and gold with some frilly white parts that covered most of her prodigious breasts, her neck and little else.

She had her arms crossed over her chest, trying to look unperturbed but showing signs of nervousness as her host unabashedly stared at her. It looked like she wore gloves that were covered by black and gold cloth, but those were her actual hands covered in cloth. Her stomach bare, looking taut and smooth, and below that, a length of cloth, almost like sash, was draped over her hips and covered her pelvis.

Her pelvis, which was connected to the rest of her body; the rest of her body, which was that of a massive spider.

Smith cleared her throat softly and adjusted her glasses. "Her appearance won't be a problem, will it Mr. Dewitt?" She asked easily, with a hidden edge in her tone.

Saul blinked as the Spider-Woman strode, as only an Arachne could, standing above him by a good number of inches. His jaw snapped shut as he looked up at her, her features schooled, but the shifting of her numerous legs and the tapping of her dangerous fingers belied her anxiety.

"That…" He whispered, awestruck. "Is so…"

Smith narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, and the Arachne visibly tensed in preparation for an insult.

"… _Badass."_

The government agent blinked in surprise, as did the Arachne, which was sort of comical given her six eyes.

Saul smiled widely and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Saul Dewitt. It's a pleasure to meet you!" He said happily. "I thought a Harpy would be coming when I heard that my home stay preferred high, spacious rooms, but this is far more awesome."

The Arachne blinked again and slowly reached out, taking Saul's hand. "My name is Rachnera Arachnera. Please take care of me." She introduced, bowing lightly.

"I've got no problem with that," He replied cheerfully, shaking her armored hand, feeling her sharp nails against his much softer skin. "Well, come on in, I'll show you around."

He stepped back, pulling open the door and gesturing for them to come inside. "I'm glad you had those guys come by and modify my doors," Saul admitted to Ms. Smith, who looked bemused. "It would suck if Rachnera couldn't get through them."

Smith, taken by surprise, just nodded her head. "Yes, that would be unfortunate." She agreed in a low tone, following behind him with Rachnera as he led them through the hallways.

"You guys want anything to drink?" He asked, "I don't have much in the way of soda or juice, but I've got coffee, tea and water."

"I'll take some coffee," Smith perked up slightly.

"Just water, please." Rachnera replied, her eyes scanning the room.

"Well, make yourselves comfortable." Saul offered, walking into the kitchen to retrieve the drinks.

Shrugging, the leggy brunette took the leather arm chair and crossed her legs, sighing at the comfortable seat. Rachnera looked around the room, examining the furniture. Besides the chair Smith now occupied, which was black, the couch and the loveseat were both dark green and looked very comfortable, though with her body, she wouldn't fit on them.

Besides a low mahogany coffee table, there was a desk with a computer on it and a swivel chair, and a large-screen TV with various game systems connected to it. There was also a large bean-bag that, judging by the indent, had recently been sat in.

Shrugging, Rachnera carefully settled herself on it. "This human…Mr. Dewitt…he seems…strange." She said carefully to the government agent.

Smith shrugged and rocked the armchair. "He seems to be a very genuine, though."

"I am strange," Saul said casually as he walked back into the room with a plate holding some glasses. "I don't really mind."

Rachnera blushed lightly in embarrassment. "Sorry." He handed their drinks to them and sat on the couch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

"Don't worry about it. I won't hold you speaking your mind against you." Saul replied with an easy grin. "So, now that you're here, I want to set some ground rules. One: Knock if you see the light on in the bathroom. Two: If you need anything, anything at all, just ask. If you want to go out for a walk or something, or you want a certain meal for dinner or whatever, just ask. Three: I have a password, but just so you know, don't read my files without my permission. And that's it."

Rachnera blinked in confusion, tilting her head slightly. "That's it?" She questioned in disbelief.

Saul shrugged and sipped his coffee. "Well, there's a whole bunch of regulations you have to follow from the government already, not to mention just plain old laws. But yeah, as far as I'm concerned, that's it."

"Oh," She muttered, playing with her glass.

An awkward sort of silence fell over the room as drinks were drunk. "Well, I can safely say that you're welcome here, Rachnera, so I'll be taking my leave." Smith announced, setting aside her cup. "Saul, I'll be checking in every week, and if any problems arise, please call me."

The man nodded to her and waved. "Come by anytime." As the echo of the closing door came through the house, silence fell again. "So…what do you like to do?"

"Me?" Rachnera asked, surprised. At his nod, she said, "Well, I…like making things with my thread and reading…magazines and books."

"Oh? I'm an author." He replied with a grin. "I've got a couple of books out, and I'm actually working on another. What kind of books do you like?"

The Arachne played with her fingers. "Just…books. Anything, really, though the horror stuff isn't for me." She couldn't exactly say most of her books were erotica, could she?

The author chuckled lightly. "Same for me. Do you have any hobbies? I enjoy playing games, writing, cooking and reading." He admitted with a smile.

"I don't have many hobbies," Rachnera replied with a shrug.

Saul nodded, and silence became prevalent once again. "Well, I'll show you to your room."

She rose from her seat and followed the human as he walked back into the hall and up the stairs, stopping at the end of another hallway. He grabbed a hanging rope and pulled it down, revealing a set of stairs.

Rachnera followed him up, coming into a surprisingly clean, though empty attic. Besides the windows and a dresser, and a small stack of boxes pushed into a corner, the room was bare. "I don't know what kind of furniture you like, so if you want any decorations or anything, just ask." Saul said quietly, rubbing the back of his head. "I hope this good."

"Yeah," She replied, shifting on the wooden floor. "It's perfect."

"Good, good." He said, smiling at her. Blushing lightly, he turned away and started back down the steps. "I'll go and make dinner. If you need anything at all, just come find me or shout, okay?"

"Okay," Rachnera mumbled as the human disappeared into the rest of the house, leaving her alone in her new room with her thoughts. _Did he mean everything he said?_ She wondered, remembering the looks he had been shooting her since they had first met. _Was he faking it all, hiding how he really feels?_

She tapped her chin and sighed, getting to work on decorating her space. _I'll just have to find out, I guess._

Saul sighed in light dismay, leaning his head against the fridge. _Oh man, that was really awkward._ He complained to himself, pulling his head back before letting it bounce off the freezer. _I can't help it around pretty women, dammit. I hope I didn't make her feel weird._

Glaring at his reflection in the refrigerator, he thought, _I probably did. Crap. Well, nothing to do except make her feel comfortable._

…

Dinner was simple. Arachne, being a predatory race, liked eating meat, the closer to raw the better, so Saul cooked a pair of steaks for them with some cauliflower to go with it.

While it was simple, it was also stilted and somewhat uncomfortable for both of them, as was to be expected with a new person living in the house.

After dinner was done, the human among them bid Rachnera good night and went to bed. She stayed up for a few hours afterwards, thinking hard. Once she was certain Saul was asleep, she snuck into his room and watched him as he slept, trying to divine more of his personality and reasons from his resting form, only to be stymied by the fact that shit didn't work.

Stealthily approaching the sleeping man as he rolled over and faced the door, she ran her fingers over one of his cheeks, whispering to herself. "Did you mean any of what you said? Or are you just afraid of me, of how I look?"

Saul's eyes snapped open, the ice-blue irises rolling to look into her solid red. "Besides being a light sleeper, you'll find that I'm probably the most bluntly honest person you'll meet." He said casually, as if he hadn't just woken to hear her question his actions. "If you want to know how I feel, all you have to do is ask, Rachnera."

Drawing back in surprise, the Arachne crossed her arms over her chest. "How do you feel about me, really?" She asked bluntly.

"Do you really want to know?" He shot back, running a hand over his tired eyes.

Rachnera's expression didn't shift, though her silence spoke volumes. Saul sat up and turned to face her fully, and she became aware that he apparently didn't sleep with a shirt.

"I really want to know." She finally said, as calmly as she could.

Saul sighed heavily, bracing his knees on his elbows and looking directly into her eyes. "Alright, Rachnera…you…are one of the most…attractive women I've ever met." He admitted, blushingly mightily.

The Arachne blinked in shock, her mouth falling open slightly. "That's…that's it? That's why you were being so awkward?" She asked incredulously.

"I not that good around pretty women, okay?" He retorted defensively. "And before you get any weird ideas, it's not just your human part that I find attractive."

Saul reached out and gently took one of her hands, laying it open. "Yes, your hands are dangerous, and your body is intimidating, to say the least, but it doesn't detract from you at all. It adds to it, and as far as I'm concerned you, your whole body, it's all very alluring."

Rachnera mouthed a few words silently before finding her voice. "Y-you, you find me alluring? Even my non-human parts?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable at all."

Her lips twitched slightly, a soft hissing noise issuing from her mouth. "….Pfffft-hahahaha!" She giggled loudly, covering her mouth with one hand.

Saul's face became dead-pan. "I'm glad my problems are amusing to you." He commented dryly, dropping her hand. _Well, I feel foolish now._

She waved off his comment, still giggling. "You like my spider parts? My, aren't you a little creepy?"

"Speak for yourself," He shot back, patting one of her forelegs. "I'm weird and I don't particularly care who knows it." He said with a smile.

Suddenly, her long black fingers were tracing over cheeks, the sharp tips grazing his skin. "I like weird." Rachnera admitted, a smirk on her lips and a blush on her cheeks.

Saul gave her a genuine smile, gently touching her hand still on his cheek. "I'm glad we talked. It's really put my mind at ease." He said quietly, before yawning. "But it is late, and we should go to bed. Is there anything else you need?"

Rachnera smiled shortly and shook her head, lavender tresses shaking from the action. "Nothing I need. Goodnight, Saul."

Slipping back under his blankets, the human author gave the Arachne woman a tired smile. "Goodnight, Rachnera."

Before she slipped out of the door, Rachnera looked back at him over her shoulder. "Call me Rachnee."

…

Morning dawned bright and lively, with a nearly cloudless sky. Saul, freshly awoken, yawned lightly and stepped out of his bedroom, heading for the kitchen.

As he came down the stairs, he heard muffled cursing coming from the eating area. Curious as to why someone was in his kitchen, he carefully stepped around the corner, finding Rachnee standing near the counter with an irritated look on her face.

Smiling to himself, the man walked into the kitchen and greeted her. "Morning, Rachnee-gah!"

He found himself suspended above the floor, his arms tied to his sides and his mouth gagged with spider silk.

Rachnee, having been startled by the weirdly silent treads of her host, had reflexively wrapped him in thread. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you!" She apologized, quickly approaching the confused and tied up form of Saul Dewitt, amazing human piñata. "I was trying to make breakfast for us, but I didn't know what you would like…"

The doorbell rang, drawing her attention away from her host to the hallway. "Who could that be?" She asked herself.

"It's probably Smith," Saul answered easily.

Rachnee spun around, finding her webbing dangling limply and Saul putting coffee into the maker. "How did you-?"

Her host turned to her with a small smirk and a playful wink, saying simply one word. "Ninja."

She blinked comically at him, and he pointed at the door. "Can you get that, please? If it is Smith, she'll want coffee."

Nodding, Rachnee turned and answered the door, letting the black-suited government agent inside. Muttering about going to the bathroom, she left the two humans in kitchen.

"Thank you," Ms. Smith said thankfully, taking the cup of coffee presented to her. "So, how did your night go?"

Saul took a seat across from her with his own cup. "It went pretty good. I think this will be a really good time for both of us."

"That's good, that's good." She said, nodding. A mischievous gleam glittered in her dark brown eyes. "So…you think she's hot, right?"

Saul spluttered, coffee spilling from his mouth and onto his shirt. "What the hell kind of question is that?!"

…

…

…

 **A/N: So yeah, that happened. I believe this could be called a 'Slice-of-life' story, much like the manga. So, no Reapers or world-ending disasters or anything like that. Just regular, everyday life…with monster girls. It'll be interesting to write, as I've never written something that doesn't have a bunch of action just…everywhere.**

 **And yes, the other women will be showing up eventually. I did supplant Kurusu with a slightly less-fictionalized version of myself from the Hero series. Still not me exactly, but damned close. More successful.**

 **I hope you like it, but don't be afraid to tell me if the POV switch is odd, though I want to remind those who read the manga that Rachnee's attitude from when she first appears is based on the reactions she got from her first host family, which made her very cynical. As Saul is her first (and only) host family, that's not exactly a problem. Her full, perverted and playful personality will become more prevalent in the next chapter or so…when I get around to writing it. Don't hold your breath.**

 **But, I do want to tell everyone who reads my stuff that this is my last new story for a good while. I've got Still Not A Hero, Dare To Wander, Jinchuriki of the World-Eater that I'm still working on, Shadows of the Remnants, and now the Guardian of the Avatar, and I don't want to singularity myself with too many stories. I might put up a poll asking yalls which stories I should focus on.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. Review, why don't you?**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: I've noticed that Rachnee likes to engineer perverted situations, like having her be seen naked or making someone stumble and face-plant into her breasts. Having someone like her, and someone like Saul (who wouldn't mind at all) interacting will be interesting.**

 **And as for the ninja thing? Not Naruto 'ninja' (pffffffffft), but like, actual ninja. And that's all I'm telling for now.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **SMOKE BOMB!**


	2. A Day With Rachnee

Blinking in the bright sunlight, Saul Dewitt awoke to a new day. Feeling the silk sheets on his bare skin, the man sighed and rubbed his eyes, recalling the previous days.

 _Well, after that day where I admitted to Rachnee that I'm attracted to her, and the awkwardness faded, a part of her personality that I didn't see coming made itself known, which is why I now sleep on silk sheets._

…

" _Hey, Honey." Rachnee greeted me one morning, sitting at the table with a cup of green tea._

" _Honey?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at the nickname._

 _She smirked at me, leaning on one of her hands, her alluring red eyes peering at me from underneath her lavender bangs. "It's because you're sweet."_

 _Shrugging, I turned to the coffee machine and poured a volume of the bitter black liquid into a cup. I stiffened slightly as a pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders, black clawed hands resting on my clothed chest and a pair of firm, soft breasts were pushed against my back._

" _I wonder," Rachnee whispered hotly into my ear, "Do you taste as sweet as you act...Honey?"_

 _And then her tongue, hot and wet, flicked my earlobe._

' _Well now,' I remember thinking, 'This is not something I am opposed to.'_

 _Turning around, I wrapped my arms under hers and hugged her, pressing my cheek to hers. "Wouldn't you like to find out, Rachnee…" Taking a dangerous little leap, I took part of her ear into my mouth and nibbled on it._

 _Then I slipped away from her grasp and smirked at her. "But the laws say nothing like that can happen, unfortunately." Fucking laws._

 _I winked at her and left for my computer, my heart racing and it was taking all of my concentration to avoid tripping over my own feet._

 _Behind him, Rachnee recovered from her shock, a grin growing on her face. "Oh, Honey…" She muttered, licking her fingers. "You aren't going to escape my net...not now."_

…

 _My clothes tumbled into the washing machine, followed by a measure of soap. Something was thrust in front of my face, hanging limply from clawed black hands. It took me a second to recall that what was held in front of my face was the top Rachnee had worn most days, the black and gold thing with the frills. And that would mean…_

 _I slowly turned around and came face-to-face with Rachnee, who, with her height, meant I was actually looking straight at her chest. Her bare chest. I glanced up at her face, a teasing smirk on her lips and a soft blush on her face. "Can you put that in there, please? It's a little..._ dirty _."_

 _I took the top from her and added it to the wash, closing the door and setting the cycle. "I bet that's not the only thing that's dirty, is it?" I asked teasingly, giving her an appreciative wink, before walking out of the laundry room._

…

 _I was walking through the hallway, just coming from the bathroom and going to the living room, when something snagged on my ankle and I tripped._

 _Instead of meeting the floor painfully, like I expected, my face was instead greeted by a pair of large, soft breasts...which I had been getting very well acquainted with. Rachnee was a hugger._

 _Looking up, I could see Rachnee's satisfied face with a blush on her cheeks. "Be careful, Honey...who knows what you could fall into?"_

 _I pushed myself up, steadying myself by putting my hands on her hips. I reached up on my toes and pressed a kiss to her cheek, the smirk leaving her lips, replaced by a small jaw-drop of shock, the redness suffusing her cheeks growing._

" _Well," I murmured to her, trying to avoid stuttering like an idiot. "If I do fall, you'll be there to catch me, right?"_

 _I pressed another kiss to her cheek and left her there, feeling simultaneously elated and nervous._

…

" _Hey, Honey." Rachnee greeted me easily, despite being in my room, standing above my bed. She was doing something to it, though I couldn't see what because her thorax was in the way. "There," She muttered, stepping away._

" _...Did you make me sheets?" I asked incredulously, touching the silky cloth now decorating my bed._

" _I wanted to do something nice for you," She admitted with a shrug, before draping an arm around my shoulders. "Besides, think of it like this. In a manner of speaking, you'll be sleeping with me every night."_

 _I turned to face her, wrapping my arms around her. "Thanks, Rachnee. I appreciate it." I reached up and kissed her cheek, something I've found I'm fond of doing. "I mean it. And I wouldn't mind sleeping with you every night, just so you know."_

...

Saul was drawn from his thoughts by a clawed hand resting on his chest, the sharp tips lightly grazing his skin. He turned his head and looked at Rachnee sleeping next to him, though not on his bed. She was a little...unwieldy in enclosed spaces, which was to be expected.

Rachnee had taken him saying he wouldn't mind sleeping with her every night as an invitation to set up a hammock that she could sleep on next to his bed, actually sleeping the same room with him.

Looking over her features, softened by sleep, Saul found himself damning the laws, and thanking them at the same time. _We've known each other a little more than two weeks,_ He thought, lightly grasping her hand on his chest. _I can already see a future with her. I would love to kiss her, to fully be with her, which is why I hate those laws...but it's so quick, for both of us. Leaping head-first into romance has never really worked out for me, and the last thing I want to do is damage our growing relationship beyond repair._

Reaching out, Saul gently stroked her cheek. _When she's awake, she's sultry and saucy and fun...but when she's asleep, she's so innocent and cute...and just all around beautiful. God, I probably sound like a huge sap. Fuck it._

Sighing lightly, the human took his hand away and quietly rolled out of bed, slipping on his shirt and making his way around the bed. Rachnee shifted in her hammock, groaning. "Hmmm...Honey?" She asked with a slight slur, her six solid red eyes blinking sleepily.

He put a hand on her shoulder and softly stroked her fair, smooth skin. "I'm going to get started on breakfast, okay? Come down whenever."

Rachnee nodded slowly and closed her eyes again. "...'kay." She muttered, beginning to snore lightly.

Smiling at how cute she was being, Saul quietly left the room and made his way down to the kitchen, going to make a fresh pot of coffee; only to find a hot pot already sitting there, the ready light lit up and about a cup's worth gone. Clicking his tongue, the author shook his head.

"Good morning, Smith. Isn't it breaking and entering illegal?"

Smith, having been waiting to surprise the host all mysterious-like, spluttered in shock, spilling a bit of piping-hot coffee down her front. "Gah! How do you do that, Saul?"

He gave her a dry look over his shoulder. "Ninja." He replied simply. She had tried that same thing twice before, and each time Saul had managed to turn in back on her.

Shaking her head, Smith took a sip of her coffee. "So, how have you guys been doing? As your coordinator, I have to know these things." She asked casually, peeking at him over the top of her sunglasses.

"Things are good," He replied truthfully. "We're getting comfortable living in the same house, and I think we're friends." _Pretty damn sure we're friends, actually._

Smith hummed and nodded. "Good, good. But...you're not getting too comfortable with one another, are you?" She questioned almost threateningly.

"Nope," Saul answered shortly, unwillingly recalling a few situations where he had seen Rachnee naked from the waist up and down, where she had seen him naked, where she had purposefully tripped him so that he ended up with his face in her breasts, and then there was the occasional hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Honey!" Rachnee called from somewhere else in the house, "I'm going to the bathroom, and I'll be down in a minute!"

Smith arched an eyebrow at Saul's back. "Are you sure about that, 'Honey'?" She asked teasingly. "You know that intimate relationships between species are forbidden by law, right?"

When he didn't respond, she slid from her seat and approached him from behind, laying a hand on his shoulder and pulling him around to face her. Her sunglasses had been removed, and she was giving a him a look that could kindly be called 'bedroom eyes'.

"Are you _very certain_ that there isn't anything between you two?" She murmured seductively, trailing her nails across his cheek. "After all, you seem to be so easily seduced…"

Giving her a dead-pan look with one eyebrow slowly lifting, Saul reached up and honked her nose, breaking the atmosphere easily. "Honk."

Smith drew back in surprise, shaking her head. Muffled snickers came from behind, and she turned to see Rachnee laughing at her from behind her hand, her eyes glinting in amusement.

Shaking his head, Sual turned back to the stove, retrieving a bowl and ingredients. "Smith, I am very much aware of what the laws say, and I won't be breaking them. I know the consequences. Now, do you want sausage or bacon with your eggs?"

After breakfast was cooked and eaten, Smith finished off her third cup of coffee and made to leave. "Now that you're comfortable with each other, it's time that you started the integration process, Saul. That means taking Rachnera around and showing her the culture." She commented lightly.

Giving the coordinator a dry look, Saul asked, "Isn't that your job?"

Smith shrugged easily and began to leave, waving a hand at them. "It would be, but I'm super-busy! Just think of it like a date!"

The door slammed shut, as if to punctuate her sentence. Saul wouldn't put it past Smith to have done just that. "So, what do you want to do?" He asked the Arachne, beginning to wash the dishes.

Rachnee took up a towel and started drying the dishes as he finished, thinking hard. "Well...there's a lot of stuff to do, isn't there? Why don't we just take a walk and see what we want to do?"

He nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea. Let's leave in an hour, okay?" Finished with the clean-up, he turned and made to leave. "I'm going to go take a shower."

Following after him, she spoke up. "I'll join you…" She trailed off into a slightly embarrassed silence. "I...can you help me wash? Some places aren't easy to reach."

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Saul nodded. "S-sure." Then he cursed himself for stuttering.

To his surprise, she didn't take his verbal skip as ammunition for teasing, like she normally would've. Instead, she appeared pensive, her eyes slightly glazed in thought.

When they arrived in the bathroom, Rachnee didn't try to tease her host, or even try to fluster him with a strip-tease like she usually would've.

Instead, she simply disrobed and stood under the shower head, letting the warm water wash over her naked body. Saul set the bath to be filled and filled a bucket with soapy water, taking up a rag and beginning to wash one of her back legs.

Even though he would admit that he did find her lower body to be kind of intimidating, it was still a part of Rachnee. He could see the charm in her, and he was very gentle with his washing. He finished six of her legs; the other two, Rachnee could handle; and started to gently clean her thorax, wiping the skull-pattern on her back like it was part of a fragile vase instead of the armored carapace it was.

Rachnee shifted slightly, mumbling something. "What?" Saul asked, looking up at her.

Her face, and the deep blush on her cheeks, was hidden her hair. "Nothing...just, hurry up, Honey. I'm...kind of sensitive back there."

"Oh." Swallowing nervously, the human proceeded to wash the rest of her thorax, including the underside, the Rachnee's discomfort and arousal. "Done!" He announced, backing away and turning the tap off, as the bath had been filled.

Humming, the Arachne slipped into the hot water, still strangely silent and thoughtful.

"Rachnee…" Saul murmured, worried about the woman he had come to care for. He had taken a seat near her in the bath, a towel wrapped around his waist. "What's wrong?"

His answer didn't come verbally. It came physically, instead. Rachnee moved through the water to stand in front of him, her entire body bare before his gaze. Her cheeks were red, but her face was stoic. Her hands wrapped around his arms and pulled him forward so that his chin was cradled by her breasts, and that his eyes were looking up into her own.

"Honey…" She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "Those laws...are they really so important?"

She took one of his hands and directed to one of her breasts, moaning lightly as he squeezed reflexively. "Rachnee." Saul said softly, reaching up and pulling her chin down. "Do you know what they would do to us?"

The Arachne shook her head, wet lavender tresses swishing.

"They would arrest me, and deport you. Actually, they might deport me as well." He muttered, thinking. "But what I'm saying is, a night of passion is not worth not being able to see you again, Rachnee. Despite the relatively short amount of time we've known each other, you've become an important person in my life."

Saul pulled away from her chest and stood on the bath bench, coming to Rachnee's height. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I do want to be with you, in every way, Rachnee. But it wouldn't be worth it. I want you in my life." He softly admitted, feeling her hands slowly come up and return the embrace. His hand gently stroked the back of her head, running his fingers through her silky lavender hair.

"I know, Honey... I do, to." She admitted, pulling back and pressing her forehead against his, feeling his breath wash over her. "I just...I want to feel more, you know?"

Saul gulped audibly and tilted her head up, planting a lingering kiss on her nose. "Rachnee, if this law wasn't in place, I would give you all the feelings you want, I mean it. But, as it is...they're the government. They're probably monitoring us."

"Yeah...yeah." She breathed out a short sigh, before leaning in and kissing his nose. "I guess...until the law changes, I'll just have to get my feelings out in hugs. But that won't stop them from growing."

Her face gained a mischievous look, her short frontal legs wrapping around his waist, pressing their hips together.

"That's not the only thing that's growing, is?" Rachnee whispered teasingly, running a finger over his chest.

Saul, despite the fact that he had the evidence of his arousal pointed out, took a hold of her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing her armored knuckles. "As I've said before, Rachnee, you are one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, and I am a straight male. What did you think was going to happen?"

…

After a bath that was both relaxing and fun, with the sexual tension between them forgotten for the time being, but definitely not gone, the pair dressed up and hit the town.

And that was where they discovered a somewhat unforeseen problem.

Everybody knew of the Extraspecies; the bill and its results had been all the news could talk about for months, and they were shown and recognized on TV constantly...however, the Extraspecies that the TV's showed were the 'vanilla' kind. Animal girls. Cat girls, cow girls, dog girls, mouse girls, bunny girls, all Extraspecies girls with minimal, though very evident animal features that weren't intrusive and most people would find them cute.

That, however left out the more...strange-looking Extraspecies, like the Arachne.

Everywhere the pair went, Rachnee got strange, fearful looks or stares; people whispered behind their backs, wondering in easily-heard whispers if Saul had been enslaved by the scary new monster girl, or if he was showing her around as a cry for help. They even took pictures on their phones.

" _Fucking christ,"_ Saul muttered in English, narrowly eyeing a pair of fear-struck teens who were snapping photos, the rapid flashes increasing his anger. " _I thought the Japanese are supposed to be polite?"_

Rachnee turned away from the clothing store they had been window-shopping at with a shake of her head. "I don't need to buy clothes, Honey, I can make my own with my silk...it's kind of fun, actually."

She wasn't answered, as her 'Honey' was giving the nearby crowd a dark look over his glasses, his visage promising pain if anyone tried to approach them. Though that only increased the whispers of wondering if he was enslaved.

"Honey," Rachnee murmured, tugging on his shirt. "There's nothing around here I need. Let's just go to the park, okay?"

He sighed and rubbed his nose, restraining his urge to shout at the impolite people whispering impolitely. "Yeah, alright."

Saul led her to the park nearby, sitting on a nearby bench overlooking the lake with a scowl on his face. The Arachne sighed in dismay. _I don't like seeing him angry,_ she thought sadly, playing with her fingers. _I knew how the common people would react to my looks...but he can't understand why they would act like this._

She looked down at her hands, wondering how she could lift his mood. Her thoughts were interrupted by a timid feminine voice speaking up. "Uh-um, sir?"

Saul looked up at the teenage girl approaching him with a nervous look and snapped out, "What?"

The teen took a blatant step back, holding a book in front of her like a shield, visibly gathering her courage. "Y-you're Mr. Saul D-Dewitt, right?" She stuttered out.

Sighing at the fact that he had scared someone, Saul nodded slowly. "Yes, that's me. Excuse my attitude, it's been an...uneasy day."

"I-I'm Kanazuki Ren! Can you...p-please sign my book?" She asked nervously, thrusting the copy of the book at him.

Saul took it with an interested face, noting that it was _The White Wolf_ , his very first book, and the copy belonging to the girl (who was obviously a student from her sailor fuku) was well-worn and had been read several times. "Of course! It's always nice to meet a fan."

His books had always been relatively popular. They didn't make the world explode, but people liked them, and he had gone to a few book-signings. Flipping it open, he took a pen (being a consummate writer, he always carried at least one pen), and left a message before signing it.

"An u-uneasy day? I-I think I can see why." Ren muttered, eyeing Rachnee with a sideways glance.

The Arachne rolled her eyes and turned away as Saul snapped the book closed and held it out to her. "Can you?" He asked shortly, before leaving Ren alone by the bench.

The young woman sighed at the abrupt departure of her favorite author. If she had known he lived around here, she would've brought all of her books...even the ones where she had drawn hearts around his picture in the back of the book with Author's Blurb.

Ren cracked open the cover of her book and looked at the note inside. _To Kanazuki Ren,_ it read, _it was a pleasure to meet you, especially a today. Stay Awesome. Saul Dewitt._

Sighing, she closed the book and hugged it to her chest. _I was really rude,_ she thought in dismay, _he probably hates me now. Wait! He must live around here! I can find his house and apologize!_

And so, Kanazuki Ren ran off to find Saul's house, forgetting in her rush that the man was a hundred feet away. And that she didn't know what neighborhood he lived in. And other important stuff like that.

Saul sighed as he walked, his hands in his pockets. "Man," He muttered, kicking a stone. "What is with people?"

Rachnee heaved a sigh and stopped, pulling her host up short. "Honey," she said strongly, wrapping her fingers around his arm. "I don't care what those random, faceless people say or think about me. I only care about what _you_ say and think about me. They don't matter. Don't let their words get to you, they're just words."

Saul sighed and turned into Rachnee, wrapping his arms around her waist. She lowered herself so that his head ended up on her shoulder instead of in her chest. Any other time…Literally.

"I know, Rachnee, I know." He sighed, his voice muffled. "I can take them saying that kind of stuff about me...but not about the people I care for. It's...a fault of mine. I can't stand it when people insult the ones I care for."

"I don't care what they say." She restated as he stepped back.

He nodded. "I know. I'll do my best to not care about them either." Saul stepped back to her side, her arms falling back down. Emboldened by her success, Rachnee reached out tugged on his hand, pulling his fingers open to interlace them with her own.

The human looked up at her in surprise, before a small smile crossed his lips and he squeezed their joined hands. Their moods now lifted, the strange pair continued their walk, enjoying the lightened atmosphere and the dappled sunlight streaming through the trees.

A few minutes later, Saul pulled up short and looked into the tree-line with an irritated look. "What are you doing here, Smith?"

"Gah!" A feminine voice cried as the government agent stumbled out of her hiding place behind a tree. "Dammit, Honey, how do you keep finding me?"

The author rolled his eyes, pointing at himself. "When are you going to believe when I say 'Ninja'?"

Smith dusted off her skirt. "When you show some proof, probably."

"If I was a ninja, would I have proof, besides my skills?" He shot back with a smirk. "But seriously, what are you doing here?"

The government agent shrugged and approached them casually. "Well, we saw a bunch of pictures of you guys on Twitter, and neither one of you looked exactly 'happy', so I decided to come down and see if I could help. Though, from what I see…"

Her eyes became visible as she lowered her glasses, her brown orbs locked onto their joined hands. "You may have retreated for a 'rendezvous' in the park bushes, instead." She teasingly waggled her eyebrows at them.

Saul, in a stunning display of age and maturity, stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at the Exchange Coordinator. "Pbbbbbbt."

Rachnee snickered at the slightly irritated look on Smith's face as her host failed to rise to her bait. That laughter was ended by a loud, rude pair of voices.

"Ooooh, shit! It's a spider-bitch!" The cry came from a ganguro girl, a Japanese youth who changed how they looked with heavy tanning solutions and light hair dye.

"Fuckin' A! How does that freaky chick even walk? Oh, do you think a spider-bitch can even pee?" That came from a rather tall (for a Japanese guy) male with bleached blond hair, a scruffy beard and generally scruffy appearance.

Both of the couple were pointing directly at Rachnee, making their point of mockery very clear.

"Hey…" Smith started warningly, frowning.

"Do you think it even has a vagina?! What if it's like, a spider face underneath! Oh man, that so gross!"

One of Rachnee's eyes twitched, her hands clenching, and Smith's fingers twitched.

Saul, however, did not have as much patience and restraint as the two ladies, having dealt with random people insulting and deriding his friend for the past few hours.

He took three steps forward and lunged, landing a right hook across the man's face; that was directly followed up a left to the other cheek and a right straight to the gut that bent him over. Saul grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him down, throwing his knee up to meet the racist's forehead with a crack.

The blond ruffian dropped to the ground, stunned, and his ganguro girl stared at the sudden violence in shock.

Saul turned to her, his normally expressive blue eyes glacial and chillingly blank. "I don't hit women," He muttered, cracking his knuckles threateningly. "But I've got no problems hitting _bitches._ "

The racist girl yelped in shock and dismay, panic lending her the strength to drag her boyfriend away from the scary-looking Arachne and the actually-scary-and-violent human.

The human author sighed and strode back to the two women. "I may have overdone it." He remarked casually, cradling his hand. "I'm pretty sure I broke a couple of my knuckles against that guys' face. I am in a surprising amount of pain."

This was all relayed with a very dry and deadpan tone of voice, which made it comical.

"Let me see your hand, Honey." Rachnee ordered, holding out her own.

Her host placed his rapidly reddening hand in hers, which she brought up to her mouth. Then, she gave it a long lick with her hot, wet pink tongue.

Saul's eyebrows rose quickly. "Okay, not that I mind, but why did you lick me?"

Rachnee, who had her eyes closed as she licked his hand a few more times, slid one open and peered at him under her lavender bangs. "I'm mixing my saliva with my venom, which numbs nerves. It should help with the pain." She took the limb away and started binding it with her threads as a make-shift cast.

"Huh. Oh, wow." Her host commented in wonder. "That stuff really works!"

His arm slipped from her grasp and hung at his side like a half-cooked spaghetti noodle. "I may have been a little too enthusiastic." Rachnee commented sheepishly.

Saul shrugged, his limp arm flopping. "It doesn't hurt, at least."

"Yeah…" Smith spoke up, having watched the events with a bemused look, "I'm not exactly a police officer or anything, so I'm not going to arrest you for assault or anything, even though that guy deserved it, but I should punish you."

The Exchange Coordinator reached and lightly slapped that back of Saul's head. "Bad Saul." She reproached with a snicker. "Well, you've had your punishment. Want a ride back to your place?"

Saul gave her a dry look. "You just want coffee, don't you? I won't be able to make it, I'm right-handed, and well…" He shook his shoulder, making his arms swing around limply.

Smith shrugged. "Eh. I know how."

"True enough."

…

Later that evening, after the sun had set and it was time for bed, Saul lay on his bed with his shirt gone. Rachnee had scooted her hammock just a little closer to the bed, and she could reach her arm out and lay it on his chest. Which she was currently doing.

She had just licked his hand and rebound it ( _Something we both enjoyed just a_ little _too much_ , Saul noted with some heat in his cheeks), and they were just waiting for sleep to catch up and send them adrift in the tides of dreams.

"Hey…" The Arachne spoke up quietly, drawing his attention. She gazed at him with half-lidded red eyes, nearly glazed with fatigue. "When you attacked that rude guy...I thought I should start calling you 'Honey-Bear'."

She giggled as Saul chuckled. "'Honey-Bear'? Not that I really mind, I think it's kind of cute, actually, but why that?"

She shrugged lazily. "Well, normally you're all sweet and whatever...but when you got angry, it was like watching a bear maul someone. It was kind of hot, actually," Rachnee easily admitted.

Arching an eyebrow, Saul shot her a slightly bemused look mixed with a small smile. "I should've kicked him in the balls, but punching him a couple of times worked out just fine...though I did fracture two of my fingers, and I need those for making sandwiches, playing games and high-fiving...and writing too, I guess."

Rachnee giggled sleepily, her eyes fluttering closed. Shifting to get more comfortable, the human put his left hand on top of her black digits. "Goodnight, Rachnee…" He whispered, closing his eyes.

…

The next morning, Saul sat at his kitchen table while Rachnee scuttled about, trying to make breakfast for the two of them. The human kept trying to use his right hand for everything, and would end up hissing in pain when his body would kindly remind him that his fucking fingers were broken. And broken fingers hurt, dumbass.

"Oh come on, Honey." The Arachne muttered as he cradled his hand with an irritated look on his face. "Just stop using your right hand."

"It's reflex," He complained with a pouting tone. "I'm only ambidextrous when I'm writing or eating."

Rachnee sighed, setting the bowl full of egg yolks aside, grabbing his hand and stripping the bandages away. "This a problem easily solved," She commented before opening her mouth and sticking his fingers inside of it.

Heat rose in Saul's cheeks as her hot, wet tongue slid over his fingers, sending shivers down his spine...and up somewhere else. Rachnee gazed at him with half-lidded eyes, her throat contracting slightly as she gently sucked on his digits, her sharp fingertips grazing his skin as their minds went... _elsewhere_ together.

Then Saul's hand slid out of her grasp and flopped on the table, the whole limb numb up to the shoulder.

"...Whoops." Rachnee commented, her face pink.

"Ahem." Saul cleared his throat. "Well, that was something."

His homestay quirked an eyebrow, pointing at the crotch of his pants...which were a little tighter, for some strange reason. "That's something too...is that 'something' for me?" She asked flirtatiously.

The aroused human gulped audibly and opened his mouth-right as the doorbell rang. "I'll get that!" He announced, twisting out of his chair and jogging to the door, his arm trailing behind him a like streamer made of flesh.

He fumbled the door-knob with his left hand, eventually getting a grip as Rachnee walked up behind him with a string of silk in her hands. "You forgot your wrapping, Honey."

The door was pulled open to reveal Smith standing on the doorstep with a wide, nervous smile. "Hey, there, Honey, I-uh...Can I ask you for favor?"

Saul leaned around the beautiful agent's frame, spotting someone behind her.

It was a Liminal, a Lamia. A half-woman, half-snake. She had flowing crimson hair that matched the scales decorating the long, thick length of her snake tail. Her golden eyes were nervous and more than a little frightened, and she looked at him with a small, anxious smile.

Saul sighed and nodded his head. _I don't think this will end well. Not at all._

…

…

…

 **Omake:**

The blond racist made a grossed out face after his little comment, and Saul stalked up to him with a slightly crazy and all enraged look. "Hey, man what's your deal-?"

The author seized him by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him closer. "Listen buddy, have you ever been taken out onto the sidewalk and beaten until you've PISSED! BLOOD!?" He shouted in the man's face, spittle flying from his mouth.

Eyes wide, the racist shook his head. "Uh...no?" He answered nervously.

Saul drew his leg back and swung it up, straight into the blond's crotch. "Well, now you have."

…

 **A/N: And there's the second chapter of The Life With Monster Girls. I have been writing a lot, why do you ask?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, this little slice of life. The Life. With Monster Girls. The story hasn't earned it's M rating yet...yet. Heheheheh. But it will sooner rather than later. Saul is no prude, and it will show.**

 **I like the response I've gotten from the readers, so keep that up. I have to say that Miia isn't my favorite girl, I mean, I don't have one I really dislike, but Rachnee's my favorite. Was that not clear?**

 **Well, that's all I've got today.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Have you seen the new Destiny expansion? Hoooh boy, shit's gonna get explosive!**

 **And that's really all I have. Toodles.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	3. Hobbies and Games

Saul's fingers twinged in pain as he used his right hand to grab a jar of dye off of the shelf, setting it with about a dozen others in the hand-basket he was carrying. He shook his hand out, irritated by the pain and what had led up to it.

 _I know how to throw a fucking punch,_ he groused, picking another jar up. _I've taken Krav Maga and even Taijutsu, and I still break my fingers punching some douche in the face. It's like I got angry and forgot 'Punching People 101: Only go for the face with an open hand. With a fist, go for the soft spots.' At least I heal fast._

Saul sighed and checked the basket, nodding when he saw that he had enough to last Rachnee for awhile; providing she didn't go crazy with the making of clothes. Setting the basket on a conveyor, he waited for the little old lady behind the counter to read, scan and bag each jar; something looked like it would take hours, going by the arthritic shaking of her hands and five-centimeter-thick glasses perched on her wrinkled nose.

As for why he was buying dye for Rachnee? Well, that had more to do their new tenant than one might think. _And my life was relatively simple, once._ He thought sarcastically, his mind falling back to the events from three days before.

…

" _So, let me get this straight," I muttered, squeezing the bridge of my nose with my left hand. "You need a place for…"_

" _Miia," Smith interjected calmly, nodding to the Lamia (half-woman, half-snake) sitting near one end of the table, playing with a part of her long, red tail._

" _Hi…" Miia greeted shyly, staring at the grains in the wooden table._

" _Miia to stay, because I signed a waiver that lets you modify my house if necessary, and have already done so." I continued easily._

" _With your consent!" Smith was quick to point out._

" _Yes, with my consent," I agreed, nodding at her. "And you need a place for Miia to stay because her hosts…"_

 _The beautiful coordinator rubbed the back of her in embarrassment. "...Have been arrested by the police, because they were Yakuza." She admitted shamefully._

" _And you missed this...how?"_

 _Smith threw her hands into the air. "Oh come on! I don't usually handle personnel, it wasn't my fault! Are you going to let Miia stay here or not?!" She shot back angrily, peering over her sunglasses with irritated brown eyes._

 _I observe her silently, before turning my eyes on Miia. Her amber eyes (matching the pair of 'D' shaped hair clips holding her bangs out of her face) peer into mine with a quietly pleading look, her lips shaking in repressed anxiety._

' _I've always been a sucker for pretty girl with a sob-story,' I thought, and if I could, I would be aiming a dry look at myself. I shot a glance Rachnee, who was standing near my side the entire time, and jerked my head at the Lamia, silently asking a question._

 _Her multiple red eyes flicked between the Lamia and myself before landing on a quietly fuming Smith, who had a growing look of despondency on her face. Her eyes lock onto mine for a minute, before she finally nodded, once._

 _I nod back and turn to Smith. "She can stay. Rachnee," I shift to look at the Arachne as the government agent slumps in relief, her head coming to rest on the table. "Can you show Miia around the house and tell her the rules? And Miia…"_

 _The crimson-haired Lamia looks up at me, a relieved smile on her face. "Yes, Mr. Dewitt?" She replied cutely._

" _Firstly, call me Saul," I said back, smiling kindly at her. "Secondly, there's a room upstairs that's pretty large. Why don't you take a look and see if it fits you? We can shopping for furniture later, and if you're cold, I can get you a blanket or crank up the heater, just tell me if you're feeling cold."_

" _O-okay, Mr-Saul." She replied shyly, still playing with her tail, a blush coloring her cheeks._

 _Rachnee led her away from the room, leaving just me and Smith sitting at the table. The Exchange Coordinator was still resting her head on the table, breathing deeply, almost like she's just on the verge of falling asleep._

" _So…" I started slowly, drawling out the word, "How did the whole 'Yakuza' thing come to pass?"_

 _She sat up with a sigh, removing her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. "Miia and myself arrived at their house to find them being pushed into the back of a police car. I talked to the detective on the scene and discovered that they had just been arrested for drug trafficking, with heavy connections to the Yakuza, probably some of their distributors."_

" _Do you think they volunteered to be a homestay for a less-than-honest reasons?" I asked, "And how did your guys miss them being Yakuza?"_

 _Smith gazed at me with a tired visage, small bags under her eyes. "As I said, I don't normally deal with hosts myself, I usually get someone else to do it. Miia's former hosts were ones that I left to someone else. They're the ones who fumbled on the background check, not me."_

" _I'm not blaming you, you know," I replied soothingly. "I was just wondering how. Do you know what the Yakuza wanted with an Extraspecies?"_

 _She gave a me a light, thankful smile. "I can only guess that they wanted to expand their customer base. There's a whole lot more people that they know of, with entirely different cultures, abilities and such. That could lead to a scary amount of exploitation. And we came really close to just giving a young woman to them." Smith sighed again. "They're gonna chew me out for this, even though I coordinate five different families, a team of Extraspecies Operatives and all that. No one seems to appreciate how much I do."_

 _There's not too much I can do about that, I'm not the government, I'm just an author. But, this is my house, I've got plenty of food, money and space (which can be rearranged on the government's bill), so there is_ something _I can do. "Wait here." I said to Smith, getting up and leaving the room._

 _I entered the kitchen and quickly poured a big cup of coffee, adding in some cream and shaving some chocolate before mixing it together with a spoonful of sugar and a dash of vanilla; then I grabbed a cinnamon roll from the fridge and popped it into the microwave for a dozen seconds. Then, I gathered it up and carried it back to the dining room, setting it front of Smith._

" _Here," I said, patting her shoulder, "It's only late morning and you look like you've had a long day already. You could use a pick-me-up. Besides, I want to show you that_ I _, at least, appreciate what you're doing and what you've done."_

 _She looked at the presented offerings with a slightly stunned look, before turning to me a with a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Honey." She said softly, grabbing the cup._

 _I left and got my own cup, more aware of how my fingers were throbbing since I'd been using my right hand to make everything. I used my left hand very carefully, pouring a cup for myself and heating up a roll; before going back to the dining room and setting my stuff next to Smith, pulling a chair around so that I could sit next to her._

" _You know, if you ever need anything, Smith, you can call or ask and I'll do my best to help." I told her simply, taking a bite out of my roll. "I do consider you a friend, and I don't mind helping my friends out at all."_

 _Smith carefully scooched her chair closer, leaning on my shoulder just a little. "I'll keep that in mind, Honey. Just keep taking care of Rachnee, and Miia too. I can't say for the latter, but I know the former is happy here."_

" _I will." I promised softly, leaning on her._

…

" _So, Miia, what do you like to do?" I asked as we sat around the living room later that day. Rachnee had taken the bean-bag as her own, and Miia seemed to like the love-seat._

" _W-well, I don't have many hobbies...but, I do like reading and….playing games." The last part was whispered embarrassedly. Miia blushed lightly and played with her skirt._

" _Huh," I 'huh'ed. "Well, that's fine. Do you like fantasy books?"_

 _She nodded excitedly, a smile lighting up her face. "Yeah, those are my favorite!"_

 _I pointed a thumb at my bookcase, which takes up about half a wall and is stuffed full of books. "Well, I have plenty of books for you to read, just as long as you respect the books. I even have my own work in there, if you'd like to read those."_

 _Miia blinked in shock. "Wait...you're an author?" She asked confusedly, pointing at me._

 _I nodded and picked my first book off of a shelf, holding it out. "Yes I am. Here's the first one if you want to look at it."_

 _With the Lamia now-occupied, I turn to Rachnee, holding out an Xbox controller. "Want to play Destiny with me?"_

 _She smirks playfully, taking the controller with an eager hand. "Are you sure you can handle my skill, Honey?" She asks teasingly, before her face becomes slightly concerned. "What about your fingers?"_

 _I stick my hand out to her. "Can you lick it a little bit? I can deal with pain, Rachnee, but I do want to spend some time with you."_

 _Rachnee smiled softly and took my hand, holding up to her mouth after unwrapping it. "W-what are you doing?!" Miia suddenly asked, speaking up with red going from her cheeks to her neck._

 _I'm guessing, by the look on her face, that all she really heard was, 'Can you lick it a little bit?' and her mind went somewhere else. Somewhere dirty._

 _I tried to contain my twitch as Rachnee's hot, wet and oddly smooth tongue gently slid over my fingers. "I fractured my fingers yesterday, and she has numbing saliva."_

" _Actually," Rachnee spoke up, gently rewrapping my hand. "My venom numbs, I'm just mixing it with my saliva so it's not as potent. Honey did hurt himself defending me, after all."_

 _Miia nodded slowly, before the nickname registered in her mind. "Honey?" She asked incredulously, and somewhat jealously, though that part was subtle._

 _The Arachne smiled at me and winked. "He's sweet, so I call him Honey."_

" _Oh," She replied simply, going back to the book._

 _As we logged on, I could see Miia peeking at me over the top of the novel, her eyes questioning. After the first multiplayer match went by, I finally turned to meet her eyes. "Yes?"_

 _Blushing at being caught, Miia stuttered out, "W-well, I was wondering...what did you protect Rachnee from? I-I mean, she looks like she can take care of herself."_

 _Given the her armored body, very strong webs, the very sharp tips of her limbs and the numbing venom her fangs contain, Rachnee being able to take care of herself is a given. "Just some asshole who couldn't keep his stupid opinions to himself like normal people." I grumble, switching my subclass to Defender._

" _Opinions?" The Lamia asked confusedly._

 _Rachnee turned a dry look on Miia. "He asked, very loudly, if i had spider-face under my skirt instead of a crotch." Her eyes flicked to me and small smirk tilted one side of her mouth up. "Then he said I was gross."_

 _We glanced at Miia, who had wide, sparkly eyes. She seemed to be stuck in an imagination spot, and I could actually almost see the events taking place in her mind._

'No one calls my love gross!' _A version of myself shouted dramatically, somehow having both anime hair and wearing a trenchcoat, despite the bright sunlight._ 'Super Punch of Love!'

 _And then that anime-esque version of me punched what resembled Sauron in the face, the armored head flying off into the distance and 'my' hand exploding into scraps of meat._

 _And then a really weird version of Rachnee scuttled onto the scene as 'I' laid on the ground, apparently dying._ "I'm so sorry, my love!' ' _Rachnee shouted for no good reason,_ 'I should've stopped you, and now you're dying!'

 _Why the hell would I be dying from punching someone in the face? And Miia does see that I have both hands, right?_

 _I trade confused and slightly offended looks with Rachnee. Looking back, the imaginary versions of us were making out pretty heavily, somehow Miia was on the scene in the background, wearing some sort of mourning outfit._

 _Rachnee scowled and twitched her fingers, wrapping Miia in a web and tying her up. The 'Tortoiseshell Binding', I think it's called, but I'm not certain about that. It was somewhat erotic, even though I doubt it was supposed to be. "Where the hell is your mind going, Snakey?!" Rachnee called out angrily, pulling the webbing tighter._

 _The imagination spot burst like a bubble. "Snakey?" Miia shouted, insulted, "What the hell...does...Why am I tied up?!" She started struggling, which only drew the webs tighter, which also pulled her clothes tightly against her body, revealing a lot of skin._

 _Apparently Miia likes lacy bras, who knew? Certainly not me ten seconds ago._

" _Girls!" I yell over their bickering, "Calm down! Rachnee, that was an overreaction...and someone is tea-bagging your Warlock."_

" _My K/D!" Rachnee said in horror, hurrying over to the controller and shooting the tea-bagging Hunter in the face with her shotgun._

 _I plant my character in a corner and quickly untie Miia, who looked away with a blush, mumbling her thanks and adjusting her clothes. "Miia, I have no earthly idea why I could see what you were imagining, but...keep it to private time, alright?" I said kindly, patting her shoulder. "Also, what was with me having that stupid hair and a trenchcoat? You know it's Summer, right?"_

 _She mumbled something about anime and hid behind the book._

…

 _The next morning, I woke up without Rachnee sleeping by me like usual and walked into the hall, stumbling across Miia, who was wearing her bed-clothes and was tied with her tail curled up on top of her like a snail-shell._

" _...What the hell?" I asked quietly._

" _She tried to sneak in your room this morning." Rachnee informed me cheerfully, sipping a cup of tea._

 _Miia said something, but I couldn't understand it through her gag. "Can you untie her, please? I'm going to take a shower." I asked, walking towards the bathroom._

" _Okay, Honey."_

…

 _While I'm washing my hair, I hear a thump from behind, turning to see a half-naked Lamia tied up again, also erotically, again. I turn a questioning gaze to Rachnee, who crossed her arms over her naked chest. "She was peeking at you."_

 _I quirked an eyebrow at her and pointed at my naked self. "I'm naked. She can look all she wants, just like you." I replied, pulling a few threads and letting Miia free. She dived into the hot bath to hide her glowing features._

…

 _After lunch, I come by Miia once again tied up, with Rachnee standing nearby with her hand on her chin. "Do I even want to know?" I asked quietly, massaging the bridge of my nose._

 _She shrugged in response. "I'm just practicing." She replied honestly. "You keep slipping out of my webs somehow, and I need to keep my skills sharp."_

 _Shaking my head, I untied Miia...again, and gave Rachnee a dry look. "We need to find you a hobby."_

…

 _And that's what led me here. Christ, what a long flashback._ Saul concluded, right as the old lady finished bagging the last jar of dye. He paid the woman and grabbed his bag, leaving the craft store and heading back home.

Cracking open the door he heard a sharp tone and gunfire, followed by a woman shouting, ' _Snake? Snake? Snaaaaaaaake!'_ in despair. That was followed by Rachnee chuckling evilly. "Come on, Miia, I thought snakes were supposed to be sneaky?"

Saul walked into the living room, setting the bag of dyes next to Rachnee. "Here you go," He said, before sitting down on the couch with his legs up on the coffee table.

"...Dye?" Rachnee asked in surprise. "Why did you buy me dye?"

"Well," He shrugged, watching as Miia's character snuck through a compound. "I remembered that you said you liked making your own clothes, so I bought you some dyes so you could also color the clothes you make."

She blinked slowly, carefully rotating a jar of royal purple dye in the sunlight. "Oh." She sat up suddenly, picking the up the bag and pressing a kiss to his cheek before walking off to do something.

 _I hope I didn't offend her._ He thought, watching her as she left. _Nah. She would've told me. And she certainly wouldn't have kissed me._

Saul watched Miia playing the game, and noticed when she shivered slightly. "Are you cold, Miia? Should I get you a blanket?" He asked carefully.

She was wearing a yellow tank-top and a similarly colored skirt, and the sun was beginning to set. The Lamia turned to look at him shyly, a blush coloring her cheeks even though she shivered again. "W-well, can I...Can I sit with you?" She asked nervously.

Arching an eyebrow, Saul nodded and patted the seat next to him. Smiling in relief, Miia slithered up to the spot and curled up, her shoulder touching his. _That's not going to warm her up,_ he thought, noticing the Lamia shivering again. Deciding on the prudent course of action, he put his arm around her shoulders.

Miia froze in surprise, before melting into his embrace, leaning her head fully on his shoulder. They sat like that for awhile, watching the screen as she played the game, though her movements got slower and slower.

Saul, noticing that the character on-screen had stopped moving, simply lying under a truck, he looked down to find that Miia had fallen asleep, her face pushed against his chest. Shrugging, he shifted her into a more comfortable position and plucked the controller from her hands and changed the game.

…

Night had finally fallen when the human felt the rumbling of his stomach. Checking his watch, he found it to be well past dinnertime. Saving his game, he carefully slid out from under Miia and set her on the couch, pulling off his coat and draping it on her like a blanket. Looking down at her sleeping, Saul gently ran his hand down her cheek.

He expected that her scales would be like that of a snake's, but was surprised when he found that they felt more like regular skin, though somewhat more slick. Feeling Miia shifting under his hand, Saul leaned in and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, getting her to settle back into sleep.

Turning, he left the room and went to make dinner.

…

Miia awoke nearly an hour later to the smell of cooking meat. Pushing herself up, she found the jacket that had been draped around her sliding down into her lap. Bringing it up to her face, she recognized it as the piece of clothing Saul usually wore when he went outside.

She remembered what it felt like to fall asleep on her host, blushing as she hugged the jacket. _It was so warm..._ she thought, taking in the scent lingering in the coat. _Just like him..._

"Ladies!" Saul's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready!"

Jumping at the sudden noise, Miia slithered into the kitchen to find her human host setting the table for three, with a fresh pot of tea set in the middle. "Oh, hey Miia." He greeted her easily, sending a small smile her way. "Did you have a nice nap?"

She nodded and took a place at the table, as Saul sat in his chair. They waited for a few minutes, but Rachnee didn't show. "Huh." He said quietly. "Usually she's down here pretty quickly. Go ahead and dig in Miia, I'm going to go check on her."

Swiftly striding through the halls, he checked in his room- _Which could basically be called 'our; room, given how often we sleep together,_ he noted- but found it to be empty, oddly. Shrugging, he headed towards Rachnee's actual room, the cleaned-out attic. He knocked on the pull-out stairs by standing up on his tip-toes and lightly rapping his fingers against the wood a few times. "Rachnee? Dinner's ready!" He called.

"I'll be down in just a second, Honey!" She said back, her voice muffled through the floor.

Shrugging again, Saul went back down to the dining room and joined Miia to eat. "So, Miia," He started around a piece of meat. "What do you think of your new home so far?"

The Lamia swallowed her bite, and answered, "I like it here. You...you're very nice." She frowned slightly. "Rachnee is a little... _too_ happy to be tying me up, though."

Saul shrugged simply, sticking a vegetable in his mouth. "Well, it's partially because she's an Arachne, and they tie people up. It's one of the first things they learn how to do. And, well, she's doesn't have much success when she tries to catch me in her web. You're an easier target for her."

Miia frowned. "How am I an easier target? I'm a Lamia! We're sneaky!"

Her host smirked and pointed at himself. "Ninja." He said simply, as it explained everything.

"Wait, you mean like the 'nin-nin' ninjas?" She asked, making a seal in front of her mouth. "Or like the 'RASENGAAAAAAAN!' ninjas?"

Saul was not amused, and his face reflected that. "Okay, one, _no-one_ goes 'nin-nin' unless they're trying to be an ass, and two, those aren't ninja's, those are badly-characterized, stupidly-written idiots who never shut the hell up about friendship. And no, I'm not that kind of ninja."

"Oh." Miia's face fell. "Well, what kind of ninja are you?"

He smirked slyly at her, twirling a chopstick skillfully between his finger. "Exactly."

"That doesn't answer my question at all!"

" _Exactly."_

At that point, Rachnee entered the dining room and took up her usual seat, looking worn and tired, her six eyes drooping with fatigue. "Hey, Honey. Thanks for making dinner." She muttered, slowly picking up her eating implements.

Saul blinked at her strangely-subdued attitude. "...Are you alright, Rachnee? You look tired."

She gave him a small, but grateful smile. "I am tired, Honey, but I'm fine. I've just been...doing things."

"Like…?" He offered.

A playful glint sparkled in her red eyes. "Oh, that would be telling, Honey. But...I'm sure you will like what I've done…" She murmured seductively.

"Okay."

…

As soon as she was done eating, Rachnee scuttled off to go do her mysterious activity, leaving Miia and Saul alone. "Well, I'm about to go to bed." He announced with a yawn.

"Yeah…Me too," Miia agreed with her own jaw-cracking yawn.

They walked to her room together, and stood outside of it for a minute. "Well, I'm glad you like being here, Miia." Saul said with a small smile. "I'm glad you're here too." _And not having whatever done to you by the Yakuza._

"T-thanks…" Suddenly, she pitched forward and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Just as quickly, Miia pulled back, a dark red blush going from her head to her neck. "G-goodnight."

Shaking his head lightly, he winked at her and left for his own room. "Night, Miia."

Miia watched his back, holding her flushed cheeks in her hands. "Night...Darling…" She whispered.

After pulling his pajama pants on, Saul lay down on his bed, letting silence rule the room as he breathed deep, waiting for sleep to take him. His door was pushed open slowly, making him look and see that Rachnee was entering with her hands behind her back. "Hey, Rachnee."

"Hey, Honey," She returned tiredly, but smiling in satisfaction. "I made you something."

Blinking, the human sat up with interest. "Oh? What is it?"

She brought one of her hands out from behind her, holding a bundle of dark blue cloth. "Here, put it on." Rachnee ordered, tossing it at him.

Arching an eyebrow at her, he complied, throwing the bundle open and putting his arms through the sleeves. "Oh, wow." He whispered, feeling the light but warm silk settle around his body. Pulling one of the sleeves out, he examined the piece of clothing closely.

It resembled an all-day kimono made from silk dyed a deep, dark blue, edged with black and interrupted with white stars. Looking closer, he found that the 'stars' were actually very small white spiders. It had a hood and a sash, and after pulling the shoulder up to look at the back, he found a larger white and purple spider imprinted on the back.

"I even made one to match," Rachnee spoke up, drawing his attention to the fact that she had discarded her clothes for the day, (A sleeveless pink blouse and short skirt) and had pulled on her own robe, hers colored dark purple with what was probably small black spiders. On her back, the spider was white and blue, the color matching Saul's eyes. It also barely concealed her breasts, and the closed bottom was a light breeze away from flipping up. "You like?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I really do," He replied honestly, marveling at how the silk was somehow warm and comforting like a wool sweater while still being thin. "You made these since I got home? Is that why you're so tired?"

Rachnee nodded, stifling a yawn. "Yeah...making all that thread is exhausting."

Saul stepped forward and folded his arms around her. "I really do appreciate it, Rachnee. Why did you do this, though?" He asked, kissing her cheek.

She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling into his shoulder. "Because I could. Because you were thinking of me and trying to make me happy. There are plenty of reasons, Honey." _And when Snakey sees you wearing something I made, with my symbol on it, she'll know that you're mine._ Rachnee smirked to herself, feeling her eyes droop from the warmth her host was exuding.

"Well, if you have an outfit you want me to wear, I'll wear it for you, okay? And I'll make those cinnamon rolls you like for breakfast tomorrow, too." He promised softly, playing with her lavender hair

"Mmhmm." She hummed, quickly falling asleep.

She pushed back on him, making him ask, "Rachnee?" The weight and her height made him stumble back, landing on his bed with his legs hanging off of the side. Rachnee still hugged him, her head resting on his chest, snoring cutely, a small smile playing about her lips.

Unwilling to make that smile go away and more than comfortable holding her, Saul snagged his pillow from the head of the bed and slid it under his head, then pulled his blanket over both of them as best as he could. Then, he settled down and closed his eyes, falling asleep while stroking her hair.

…

Rachnee awoke from her sleep completely refreshed, very warm and happy. Opening her eyes, she found that she had pulled the entirety of her human half onto the bed, and was face-to-face with her still-sleeping host.

Licking her lips nervously at the proximity, her eyes darted from Saul's closed eyes to his slightly parted lips, his breath coming in quiet huffs. Swallowing, she slowly, so slowly, leaned closer to him, her nose touching his and her lips just barely brushing over his. She teetered on the edge of kissing him, her mouth dry. She licked her lips, the tip of her tongue touching against his lips.

 _No,_ she decided slowly, gently pulling away. _I want our first kiss to come when we're both awake...though I don't know how long I can hold out._

Miia suddenly burst through the door, her mouth opening to shout a greeting, when she was suddenly cocooned in webbing, gagged before the first syllable could exit her lips.

Rachnee's eyes twitched in irritation as Saul began to stir underneath her. "Someone needs to learn some manners!" She hissed lowly.

Her host sat up slowly, blinking the sleep away. "Mornin' Rachnee, Miia." He greeted groggily, rubbing his eyes. Taking his hand away, he took in the slowly spinning Miia, who was struggling and saying something (most likely nothing nice) behind her gag. "Again?"

…

…

…

 **A/N: And there you go, chapter three of The Life With Monster Girls. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, brought to you by the power of metal! Doesn't seem like it, does it? But yeah, I've been straight up going on a metal road-trip the last couple of days...for some reason. I mean, yeah, I like metal (not the super screaming stuff) but it's odd how I've been writing fluff to Disturbed. That's just...really dissonant. Huh.**

 **Anyway, if you noticed that I've been on a bit of writing spree, well congratulations, thank you for participating. Just kidding. I actually have something to admit. Since Tuesday, I've been…**

…

 **Taking Psychology classes.**

 **Don't hate me! Ahhhh!**

 **Again, kidding. About the hate part, anyways. Yup, I started taking Psych classes, and so far (day two) it's been interesting. I don't how it will interfere with my writing, but it's a class, it will somehow.**

 **Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know. S'all I got for now.**

 **Review, why don't you? Maybe you tell your friends and they review too, huh? Maybe it makes me happy and I write quicker, yeah?**

 **Though, studies have shown that assholes who demand reviews tend to not get them, because they are being ridiculously giant assholes. Which is why I'm asking, is all.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Oh my fuckin' god, it's not 'grinded'! Grinded is not a fucking word and it sounds fucking stupid as well! It's 'ground', as in: 'Their blades ground against each other, throwing sparks,' or grinding, as in : 'Seeing his crush in the arms of another, the man clenched his fist, teeth grinding painfully.' That's how it works, it's not 'grinded'. Nor is it 'ridicules', that is a word, but it's a verb, someone ridicules someone else! It's ridiculous! I find it fucking ridiculous that that so many people think it's ridicules! There's an example, right there.**

 **Read a dictionary!**

 **Stay Awesome Some More. EXCLAMATION POINT!**

 **~still Soleneus**


	4. Kidnapped by a Harpy

Saul awoke with a groan, a dull pain throbbing in the back of his skull. _Where the hell am I?_ he wondered groggily. He opened his eyes and looked around, wondering why there was pressure on his arms and something rough under his fingertips. Looking up, he jumped and panicked immediately after doing so, the view of a taut, well-shaped and athletic rear close to his face being forgotten as the sudden realization that he was holding onto a branch twenty feet above the ground struck him like a bolt of lightning.

" _Oh Jesus!"_ He shouted in English, hanging onto the thick branch for dear life. " _What the fuck am I doing here?"_

Though with how fast the words spilled from his mouth, it sounded more like, "Wadda fuck 'm I doin' 'ere?"

Securing his grip, he remembered the butt he had seen for no apparent reason and looked up. "Gah!" And came face-to-face with a petite girl, her light blue hair waving messily around her head, her light brown eyes inches away from his ice-blue.

"You're awake!" She announced in a childish voice.

"Who the hell are you?" Saul asked bluntly. Normally, he would've been polite, as he was to everyone who didn't piss him off, but seeing as she was a Harpy, the blue-haired girl was the only one who would've been able to bring him up into tree. Where he was currently. Hanging twenty feet above the ground.

"A Harpy!" She announced loudly and cheerfully, "Papi's a Harpy, is what Papi is!"

One of Saul's eyes twitched. "...The fuck did you just say?" He asked confusedly, tightening his grip on the bough he was hanging from.

"Papi's a...parpy? Harpi-papi-parpy?" The obviously crazy Harpy descended into random nonsensical mutterings, looking mightily confused by her own words. It seemed like steam was wafting off of her head, as if thinking that hard about something that simple had begun to overheat her brain.

Saul slipped and nearly fell from the branch, just barely catching himself. He quickly pushed himself off of the limb and clutched onto the trunk, slowly climbing down to the ground. As he let go of the tree and stood on his own feet, he stumbled slightly, gingerly rubbing the back of his throbbing head. The blue-haired-and-winged Papi descended from the tree, gracefully landing next to him. "How the hell did I end up here?" He asked out loud, mostly to himself. He shot a suspicious glance at the Harpy. "Did you kidnap me?"

"Papi's was told she needs a human to come with her when she goes outside, so I grabbed you to come with me!" She replied with an innocent smile on her face. "Oooh, what's that? Does it have food?"

Her attention was drawn to a nearby ice cream truck, where a few kids were gathered around, gleefully buying cold treats. She started to take off towards it excitedly when Saul reached out and snagged one of her wings, stopping her from taking more than three steps. She turned to him with a blank look in her eyes, before drawing away fearfully. "W-who are you?" Papi asked nervously, drawing her wings up in front of her.

Saul's eye twitched again. _This...is fucking ridiculous._ "I'm the guy you kidnapped because you were out by yourself." He replied with a strained smile.

"Oh, right! Come on, let's get some that stuff!" Papi announced with a big smile, dragging him to the truck by the arm.

 _How the hell did I get into this situation?_ Saul wondered as the excitable Harpy looked over the ice-cold offerings on the sign, salivating at the thought of eating them.

…

 _I threw the wet sheet up and let it spread out in the open, sunny air. After it was extended to my liking, I pulled it over the drying line and securely clipped it there. The three drying lines, weighed down by clothes, waved slightly as a breeze rolled over us, picking up the various sheets and lifting them. Rachnee and I had to set them up on the second-floor patio because..._

" _So, Miia, how exactly did you break the dryer?" I asked the Lamia, who blushed and looked away in embarrassment. And on laundry day, too._

 _Miia mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't hear, though it seemed to make her blush increase. Whatever had caused her to get her all of her bed dressings so dirty that she had tried to wash them all at once was probably not a good thing. Maybe, I don't know._

" _Oh yes, Miia, what, exactly made all of your sheets so..._ dirty _?" Rachnee asked teasingly, smirking in the Lamia's direction._

 _She shot the Arachne a dirty look, hindered by her red cheeks which only made her look cute, throwing her blanket over one of the lines. "Nothing! I just thought they weren't clean enough, I and really wanted to clean them." She shot back, growling slightly._

" _Well, next time you want to wash your stuff suddenly, just parse it out a bit, yeah?" I said to her, not unkindly "It's no big deal, and the repair guy should be coming by in a couple of hours, but, you know, be mindful of stuff like the limitations of electronics, okay?"_

 _And it's not as if it would hurt my wallet. I could spin this in a way that the government would write it off as a part of the Exchange programs' repayment plan. Since Extraspecies had little in the way of understanding human things, that were built for humans and not Extraspecies, the Program would pay me back the cost of getting the dryer fixed. And I should get him to look at the washer too, just in case._

 _She nodded shyly and went back into the basket to grab a few more wet things, when something suddenly seized the back of my shirt, yanking me back and off of my feet. I felt a sudden sharp pain in the back of my head along with a dull_ thunk, _and just barely heard Rachnee calling out, "Honey!" as my consciousness faded._

…

 _She must've slammed my head into something when she grabbed me._ Saul thought with a wince, holding a small tub of ice cream to the back of his head. He sat on a bench next to Papi, who was holding a swirled vanilla cone unsteadily between the small thumb-like talons at the curve of her wings. _And judging from the sound that echoed in my skull, it was probably something made out of metal...I think I have a concussion._

As he thought, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of his head, the blue-colored Harpy yelped in dismay as her ice cream cone slipped from her talons and dropped towards the ground. Reaching out quickly, he managed to snag it out of the air before it could splatter on the sidewalk. "Here," he muttered, holding it out in front of her. "I'll hold it for you."

With the cold tub pressed to the back of his head helping to relieve his pain, Saul sighed as the Harpy happily licked at her ice cream cone, ignoring the mutterings directed at both of them from the human bystanders. He looked up in surprise as her lips brushed over his hand as she took a bite out of the con itself, having eaten all of the vanilla treat. Somehow, she had managed to get splatters of ice cream all over her face and even in her hair. It was probably because of how fast she ate it, though it looked both messy and rather untoward at the same time.

As in, it looked like she had messily gone down on a guy, untoward. And that was just awkward for Saul. It was about to get even more awkward for everyone.

Spying the large fountain in the middle of the park, Papi made a happy noise, jumping towards the water feature. "Wow! What a big bird-bath!" She exclaimed happily, stripping what little clothes she wore off without a care for who was watching and diving into the water.

Saul heaved a deep, heavy sigh, palming his face. "...And she took her clothes off. Great." He muttered dryly. "Somehow, this is going to affect me, I just know it." Standing, he gathered her discarded clothes and approached the fountain where Papi was playing in the clear waters.

"It's not a bath, Papi, it's a fountain. A public fountain. You could get arrested." Saul explained, holding her clothes out to her. "Get out and get dressed."

She shook her head, reaching out to grab hims a taloned foot. He quickly ducked, a wave of dizziness causing him to stumble back, blinking the fuzziness away from his vision. "Get in!" She whined, splashing the water with her wings, completely uncaring of her nudity. "The water's good!"

The concussed human gave the Harpy a blank look and flatly replied, "No." Sighing at her recalcitrance and ignoring her pout and accompanying whine of 'So mean!', he sat on the ground outside of her reach. "Why did you kidnap me, Papi? And I mean besides wanting to fly around."

"Well, the terminator-" he assumed she meant 'coordinator', or else he was buying a rocket launcher first chance he got, "-said that if Papi went out on her own one more time, they would deflower me!" Papi explained with a strange enthusiasm.

Sighing again, something he seemed to be doing a lot of in the Harpy's presence, he noted, Saul muttered, "I'm going to go out on limb here and assume you me 'deport', otherwise I have misjudged Smith horribly." Clearing his throat, he spoke up. "Why didn't you get your host to come with you? Instead of, you know, concussing and kidnapping me. And then leaving me hanging twenty feet above the ground. And making me buy you ice cream."

She shrugged cheerfully, leaning on the fountain. Saul found it easy to ignore her small chest, bare as it was. Blurry vision brought on by concussions, ho! "They're so boring, always telling Papi to calm down and stop flying! Papi's a Harpy, and Harpies fly, like, all the time!" Papi reached out with a wet wing, brushing her soaked feathers against his shoe. "But I like you, strange guy! You didn't yell at Papi at all, and you bought me tasty cold stuff!"

Saul shook his head slowly. "I should call Smith, she should be able to sort out your living situations, because it sounds like your host family doesn't exactly mesh with you." He said, reaching for his phone...which he left inside of his house, because he was just stepping out for a bit to do the laundry. "Goooood-dammit."

Papi, having had enough of the bird-bath, climbed out of the fountain and managed to pull her clothes on (short, tight jean shorts and a black-and-white striped tube-top), ignoring that the wet cloth was sticking to her skin. "Come on, nice guy, let's go play!" She chirped excitedly, tugging on his arm with her foot.

He allowed himself to be pulled onto his feet, keeping the tub of ice cream pressed to the back of his head. "If you're going to call me anything, call me Saul, okay? It is my name, after all." Saul asked her politely.

Papi opened her mouth to say something when a someone shouted, "Darling!" slithering in between the two and forcefully pushing them apart. Papi rolled over the grass, coming to her feet to see Miia standing in front of Saul, glaring death at the blue Harpy.

"Fuck!" Saul cursed loudly, holding his arm to his chest. Papi still had her talons wrapped around his arm when Miia pushed them apart, and those fuckers were _sharp._ They had opened three shallow gashes on the top of his arm, which were bleeding steadily.

A pair of clawed hands gently grasped his arm and lifted it up. Rachnee quickly tied a bandage made of her silk around the wounds, stemming the blood flow and making her host hiss in pain. "Oh, Honey," She murmured, softly hugging his head to her chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop that Harpy from taking you. I was afraid that if I managed to pull you out of her grasp, you would fall and get injured."

Blinking at the sudden warmth and softness, Saul leaned into her embrace. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Shit happens." He mumbled comfortingly.

Rachnee flushed slightly at the affectionate nickname. "Is that the head injury speaking?" She asked teasingly, gently stroking his hair and biting her lip.

"Pffft, no. You are a sweetheart, Rachnee. You may have tough shell and an intimidating appearance, but you're all warm and sweet underneath it all." Saul pointed out, blinking dazedly up at her.

The Arachne smiled lightly, before turning a narrow red gaze on the two arguing Extraspecies. "Speaking of head injuries…" She hissed angrily, before barking at the two girls. "Hey! Cut that shit out right now! I will tie both of you up and string you around this park bare-ass naked if I have to!"

"What did Papi ever do to you, huh?" Papi shouted angrily. "And that's my Saul, keep your claws off him!"

Miia scowled at the Harpy, hissing like her animal half. "No, he's mine, and you won't get your talons on him ever again, you blue-booby-bitch!" She then turned her ire on the Arachne. "And why are you yelling at me? You're supposed to be on my side, you stupid, huggy-dominatrix-wall-crawler!"

Rachnee narrowed all six eyes on the Lamia, hugging Saul tighter. "I was on you side until you carelessly injured Honey, _Snakey_!" She bared her sharp and deadly fangs, dripping with venom. "I think both of you need to learn some manners, and I got just the rope techniques to use!"

Saul, clutching his head from all of the loud voices verberating through his skull, finally stepped forward and raised his voice. "Enough! Ladies, quit making a scene in a public park or I will concuss right now!" He then blinked at the silence permeating the area, finding that the people in the park were not even paying the slightest bit of attention to them.

Instead, they were paying attention to a little girl who somehow managed to climb twenty feet up a tree trunk, and was clutching onto a branch and crying in fear as an older woman, most likely her mother given by the worried tears streaming down her face, shouted comforting words.

 _That's the exact same branch I woke up on,_ Saul realized shortly. _Christ, what an odd coincidence._

Papi titled her head curiously at the commotion. "Why doesn't she just use her wings and fly?" She asked cluelessly.

"She's a human girl," The host pointed out with a flat tone. "Humans don't have wings, Papi. If she falls and no one catches her, she could die."

"Oh." The Harpy nodded in understanding, before her eyes went wide with panic. "Die?! Oh, no, I'll save her!"

She leapt into the air, flapping her light blue wings mightily...only to crash back down to earth, as she was still wet from her recent bath. "I'll save her, Darling!" Miia declared, heading for the tree trunk.

"Wait!" Saul called, holding out a hand. "You'll scare her, Miia! Rachnee, put some sticky webbing on my hands, quickly!"

Rachnee blinked at the sudden request, but complied, slathering his hands with thick, sticky webbing. "What are you doing?" On second thought, she probably should've asked that first.

"I'm going to get her." The author said simply, no trace of dizziness in his voice. Quickly, he dashed at the tree and ran a couple of steps up the trunk, before latching on to it with his sticky hands. He scaled the tree quickly, coming to the branch that the little girl was clinging to like a life-line. "Hey, cutie."

She jumped, startled at the sudden voice, looking at him with wide, fearful eyes. "P-please, please help me, mister!" She pleaded with tears rolling down her cheeks.

He smiled at her comfortingly, holding a hand out for her to take. "That's what I'm here for, cutie. Just take my hand, and I'll get us down, okay? Do you like piggy-back rides?" He asked gently.

The little girl nodded slightly. "Well, just take my hand, and I'll give you a piggy-back ride down. Does that sound fun?"

"Yeah," She mumbled, slowly reaching out for his hand. Firmly grasping her wrist, Saul pulled her from the bough and onto his back. The little girl latched onto him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and her legs around his waist.

Very carefully, he began to descend from the tree with his passenger clinging to him like a koala. A dizzy spell hit him as he was four feet from the ground, causing him to slip from the trunk and land on his feet.

The girls' mother rushed up to him, pulling the little girl from his back and embracing her tightly. "I'm so glad you're alright! Don't worry me like that ever again!" She turned to Saul and began to bow, profusely thanking him.

Sheepishly waving his hand, Saul smiled nervously. "Don't worry about it, I just did what I could to help." He looked around at the ground and spotted something, quickly picking it up and holding it out to the girl. "Here, have this. It might be a little warm and soggy, but it is chocolate ice cream."

Giving him a wet smile, she took the tub of ice cream and thanked him, hugging him around the waist as the crowd went 'Aww'.

After being thanked again and hugged by the mother, Saul escaped the crowd and joined his homestays. Just then, a young man wearing a police uniform on a bike showed up, looking around nervously. "Uh, I heard that there was someone stuck in a tree?" He asked, sweating lightly.

"It's been dealt with," Saul replied easily, leaning on Rachnee's arm. "I got her out of the tree."

The young officer gave him a thumb's-up. "Good job!" His eyes fell on the Extraspecies girls, his face paling at the sight of Rachnee. "Um, are you, uh, watching them?"

The human host pulled a pair of cards from his back pocket and flashed them at the officer. "Yup, I'm their homestay." He jacked a thumb at Papi. "I'm supervising her."

The officer scratched his head nervously. "Er, I still need to see her registration, though."

"I've got it right here!" A feminine voice announced, drawing attention to the speaker. They found Smith stepping out of an SUV, holding aloft Papi's registration. "Hey, Honey. Fancy seeing you guys here."

Saul waved a little. "Hey, Smith-" The world suddenly lurched and he bent over, hurling up the remnants of his breakfast onto the ground, Rachnee's grip on his arm stopping him from collapsing as the adrenaline from the kid in danger faded.

"What's wrong?" Smith asked Rachnee sternly, hurrying over to a groaning Saul's side.

Rachnee pointed at the back of his head. "I think he has a pretty bad concussion." She informed the coordinator, stroking her host's back as he dry-heaved.

Smith frowned, gently taking Saul by the arm. "That's not good, we need to get him home. Or better yet, to a hospital." She snapped her fingers, making three men in suits step out of the black SUV. "You and you, escort these ladies to their hosts' house. They will lead you there. You!" She pointed at the driver. "Take us the nearest medical center!"

She slowly lead a stumbling Saul to the SUV, carefully helping him inside before entering herself and shutting the door. As the government vehicle drove off, the Extraspecies girls watched the receding rear end of the car with worried faces.

Inside the car, the author leaned heavily on Smith's shoulder, his eyes fluttering. "Smith…" He mumbled tiredly. "I feel like shit."

She chuckled lightly, gently shaking him. "You look like it, too, Honey. Don't fall asleep on me yet, okay?" He hummed in response, blinking slowly, his eyes unfocused. "Just focus on my face, Honey. We'll be at a hospital soon."

Saul slowly quirked an eyebrow at her, smiling slightly. "I have no problems...focusing on your face, Smith." He waggled his eyebrows trying to give her a teasing grin, but it faded quickly as the sum of both actions made him dizzy. Then, the second part of her sentence was understood. "Wait, the hospital? It's...just a concussion…"

Smith sighed and nodded, her arm around his shoulders. "I know, but it's better to be safe than sorry, Honey." She replied, trying to keep him awake. "And all the stress caused by those girls fighting and with the little kid up the tree probably didn't help matters, either."

Saul attempted to nod, but he just huffed instead and laid his head on her shoulder, not very aware of his actions. "Hey, Smith...why do you call me 'Honey'? Rachnee does it 'cause she says I'm sweet...though it might also have to do with my tan." He asked and explained.

"What, I can't think that you're sweet as well, Saul?" Smith asked, mock offended. "So rude."

"Not...what I meant," He mumbled, blinking. "I'm just wondering why."

She shrugged slightly, mindful of his head on her shoulder. "You are sweet, Saul, and I thought the nickname was fitting. Does it bother you? I'll stop if it does." She grinned teasingly, poking his shoulder. "Is it something you want to keep between you and Rachnee, like, between _lovers?_ "

Saul snorted, lurching as the car came to a stop. "If it bothered me, I would've told you, Smith. I don't mind at all. Though, what does bother me is that I don't have anything to call you."

Smith gently pulled him from the car, taking him by the arm and leading him into the hospital. "Well, it's something to think about, yeah? Here, sit down, I'm going to get a doctor." She left him on a bench and quickly found a man in a white coat who didn't look busy and grabbed him, quickly explaining the situation.

"Mr. Dewitt?" The doctor asked, kneeling in front of the groaning author. "I'm Dr. Miyazaki. Can you open your eyes and look at me, please?"

Saul tilted his head up and let the doctor shine a pen-light into his eyes, giving a slow blink and a dull 'Ow' at the brightness. Miyazaki hummed to himself and pushed the author's head down, carefully pressing his fingers on the injury.

"Agh, shit!" The host hissed in pain.

The doctor nodded to himself and stood. "Yep, it's a concussion. Not as bad as it could be, but you'll feel pretty crappy for a couple of days, Mr. Dewitt. My recommendation is to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, maybe put an ice-pack on the injury, and avoid strenuous activity. Too much blood flow to the brain at this point would probably make you nauseous, or even sick. If dizziness persists for more than three days, come back in, and we'll get a CAT scan setup."

Saul grunted in agreement, holding his hand out. "Thanks, doc." He muttered.

Miyazaki shook his hand firmly before nodding to Smith. The coordinator helped the host to his feet and back into the car, sitting in silence while they were driven to his home. Once there, she helped him up the stairs and into his bed, then left him to get under the covers while she grabbed some water for him.

"Ms. Smith!" Miia cried worriedly. "Is Darling going to be okay? He's not going to die, is he?!"

Waving her concern off, Smith shook her head. "He's not going to die, Miia, he's just needs a lot of rest. I'll be taking care of him for now, since Papi is my responsibility, and thus his injury by her hands, even accidentally, is mine as well." She looked seriously at the gathered over her sunglasses, her brown eyes steely. "Think of this as a lesson in restraint, girls. Saul, your host, the one who is taking care of you, is human. He is not an Extraspecies. He is not a ballistic dummy that can be fixed in a few minutes."

Her gaze was directed at Miia and Papi, who both looked ashamed. Rachnee crossed her arms, fuming silently as she shot the two girls dark glares, her fingers twitching in response to her desire to string them up.

"Keep that in mind." Smith finished, walking into the kitchen and retrieving several bottles of water. She waved to the girls and stepped up the stairs, the door to Saul's bedroom closing distantly.

Miia and Papi froze in fear as dark intent washed over them. Slowly turning around, they jumped at the look on Rachnee's face. Her lavender tresses cast a deep shadow over her visage, leaving her solid red eyes glaring out at them from the darkness, her white fangs shining. "You...need to learn some...restraint." She whispered menacingly, threads gleaming malevolently in the light. "And I am just the person to teach it to you!"

With a flick of her fingers, the two Extraspecies girls were bound in her webs, tied in such way that the threads tightly squeezed certain sensitive parts of their anatomy.

Up in his room, Saul laid on his bed with his eyes closed, slowly drinking from a water bottle Smith held to his lips. "Thanks, Smith." He whispered as she took it away and capped it, sitting in the hammock Rachnee usually slept in next to the bed.

"No problem, Honey. Just get some sleep, okay?" She replied, taking the hand he held out to her.

He grunted sleepily, squeezing her hand. "Room feels like it's spinning, even with my eyes closed."

Smith didn't say anything, simply watching as he fell into slumber. She watched over him as his breathing became deep and his face relaxed. Once she was sure he was out, Smith sighed deeply and removed her glasses, rubbing her eyes and the deep bags under them. Her bosses had been very demanding the last couple of days, and she had missed a lot of sleep because of it. There was the snafu with Miia's original host family, and then there was Papi's flying away, and those were just a few of the problems she'd been having to deal with. And then today happened.

Smith sighed again, gripping Saul's hand gently, wishing she could join him on the bed and in dreamland. _Well, why not?_ She thought, watching his sleeping face. _It's not as if he would mind. And I need to watch over him._

Shrugging and not really fighting the idea, the coordinator pulled her hand away from his and stood, noting his grunt of discomfort, carefully pulling off her shoes, followed by hanging her black jacket and white button-up shirt on the hammock and setting her sunglasses on top of them. It left her in a dull blue tank-top, her black skirt and hose.

She carefully slipped under the covers, pressing her back against the hosts' chest and sighing as her head landed on the pillow and his arm wrapped around her stomach. It was just efficiency. He wanted something to hold while he slept, and she wanted to sleep. It worked out.

…

…

…

 **A/N: And there's chapter four for you people. So yeah, I kind of made a big deal about Saul being human, with human limitations, because the manga is, well, a manga, and Kurusu barely shows ill-effects from injuries that should put him down for a while. He does show some, but they're gone in the next chapter. I'm just trying to do a more realistic take on it, that's all.**

 **So, one person asked me about the ladies going to show up, and they will be the canon girls. And one OC, maybe, if I think I could make it work. It's a possibility. I can't really show Yukio, the Yuki-Onna who stays at a hot-springs, because I find the stoically sexy type to be freakin' adorable, and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from making her join, so I'm going to avoid that as best as I can.**

 **Unless someone can convince me otherwise, but I sincerely doubt that.**

 **I'm also loving the reviews, favorites and follows this story's been getting. Thank all yalls.**

 **That's it for me today. If you want, you could check out my other stories. I just updated Jinchuriki of the World-Eater yesterday, and I'm working on the next chapter of Dare to Wander, as well as Still Not A Hero. Take a look if you like.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: I finished my first week of Psych classes, and so far, it's really interesting. I'm looking forward to learning more, which is a first in long time for me. The last time I've felt like that was my last English class three years ago. And that was only because my teacher was hilarious.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	5. Dealing With Headaches

Saul whistled to himself as he walked down the street, heading towards the hospital to see Dr. Miyazaki. His pace was slower than normal, due to his slowly fading concussion that would occasionally make the street tilt in his eyes. To avoid stepping into the road on accident, he walked slowly, and Smith was by his side, ready to grab him if he stumbled.

His eyes flickered to the black-clad coordinator, his mind falling back to the previous morning, and what had occurred then.

…

 _I noticed two things when I woke up the morning after my kidnapping. One: My head still hurt and room still spun despite me lying down with my eyes closed, which meant I would have to take it easy today. And that I would probably have to see go to the hospital again. Damn._

 _And two: I was holding someone in my arms. I couldn't help but freeze as the realization struck. 'Who is it?' I wondered, trying to subtly feel around for the identity of woman (for it was a woman, most definitely) in my bed. She had soft skin and snored lightly, and from what I could tell by the legs entangled with mine, she had human legs. Long, smooth ones. So, not Rachnee or Miia. The round rear pressed against my crotch was pleasantly round and full, from what I could feel, but definitely wider than Papi's petite body. So, that wasn't any of the Extraspecies girls in my house; though I'm assuming Papi will be staying with us from now on. I can't imagine why Smith would have her registration on hand if not to move her._

 _And then it struck me. I was holding a human with long, silky hair and apparently mile-long legs. Smith. I was sleeping with Smith._

 _Naturally, I pulled hips back slowly so that my 'reaction' to her presence wouldn't be uncomfortably poking her rear._

 _Pushing myself up just a little, I looked down at Smith's sleeping face. She was breathing deeply, her full lips parted slightly, and she just looked so peaceful lying there, I felt like it would be a crime to wake her up._

 _So, I didn't. I laid back down, pulled her just a little closer, and closed my eyes, enjoying the closeness._

 _..._

 _I have to say, Smith is one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, excluding the Extraspecies girls. They're beautiful in their own way, (well, from what I can blurrily recall of Papi, she had a charming look, though a little less 'mature' than I like) and they don't really count when comparing against Smith, a human woman. They're definitely exotic, though._

 _..._

 _So, I settled back in to my bed, even though I was awake and probably wouldn't just fall back to sleep. With my eyes closed and my hand on her stomach (just above her abdomen, but well below her bust), I could feel her muscles flex rhythmically under my fingers. I lost track of time at that point, just listening to Smith snore and feel her pulse under her skin. I may have fallen asleep again, actually._

 _But I remember Smith suddenly shifting, her breathing pattern changing, and she sat up on my bed, rubbing her eyes. This had the effect of dumping my arm, once around her stomach, into her lap. She looked down at my appendage confusedly, before turning groggy eyes on me. "Honey?" She asked with a yawn. "What are you doing in my bed?"_

 _I blinked at her, arching an eyebrow. "Um...this is my bed, Smith. You're in my house." I replied carefully._

 _Her eyes opened up a little more before going slightly blank as she obviously recalled the previous days' events. "Oh. Right." She glanced down at me, looking more aware than she had previously. "How do you feel, Honey?"_

 _I kind of expected her to tease me. She could see my morning problem pretty well, her eyes actually flicked down to it before she looked at my arm. I guessed she was being serious._

" _Well, I've got a throbbing headache and the room is spinning somewhat." I replied truthfully._

 _Smith nodded in thought. "Alright," She muttered, "I'll be taking care of you today, okay Honey? The well-being of all the tenants in your home is my responsibility, after all."_

 _I nodded slowly. "Okay. What about your work?"_

 _She shrugged uncaringly. "They should understand. I've got people who can do my work today, though I do need to go home and get some fresh clothes." Smith's face gained an uncharacteristically nervous look. "Er, Honey? You don't mind that we shared a bed, do you?"_

 _I can understand why she would be nervous. I was in no position to say no last night, and I only became aware of our sleeping situation when I woke up. I could sue her for sexual harassment, but I'm not a total asshole like that._

" _Course not," I muttered quietly. "I would've told you if it bothered me, Smith. I actually enjoyed it, to be honest."_

 _She gave me a relieved smile. "Thanks, Honey. I liked it too. I haven't felt this rested in a long time." Smith admitted sheepishly, sliding out from under the covers. "I've got to go call my bosses and freshen up, but I'll be back in a little while, okay? Don't strain yourself, and don't be afraid to call me if you need me."_

" _I will," I said reassuringly. "I'll be careful with myself."_

 _Smith had buttoned up her white shirt and was in the process of tightening her tie when she stopped, looking into the distance and obviously debating something with herself. Finally, she finished with her tie and turned to me with her jacket in her arm, looking down at me with a strange expression._

 _Apparently she came to a decision, as Smith leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. "I'll be back soon, Honey." She whispered, patting my cheek and leaving quickly._

 _Stunned, I could only mumble a reply, and I'm not sure exactly what I said._

 _After a few minutes of lying there in a dazed silence, my bladders' complaints finally got to me, and I slipped out of my bed to go to the bathroom. Sitting up caused the room to spin, and standing took a lot of effort, something I can't say I'm proud of. I had to lean pretty heavily on the wall to walk to the bathroom, and I had to sit down to do my business._

 _I shuffled into the hall, coming upon the girls standing in front of me. Both Miia and Papi looked worried, relieved and ashamed at the same time, while Rachnee was just relieved and slightly worried, though her mouth did turn up at the sight of me wearing the robe she had made. It is seriously comfortable._

" _Hey, Honey." Rachnee murmured, coming up and taking my hand. "I'm glad to see that you're up and about."_

" _I've got a headache and I'm dizzy as all hell, but yeah." I replied blearily, switching from leaning on the wall to leaning into her side. "I'm going to take it easy, okay? I'll be staying out of the kitchen, so I can't make you guys any breakfast."_

" _That's alright, Honey." She replied, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. "Now, I believe the girls have something to say to you."_

 _Papi was the first, approaching me with teary eyes. "Papi's so sorry!" She wailed, clutching my chest. "I didn't mean to hurt you, honest!"_

 _I patted her back gently, trying to comfort the sniffling Harpy. "I know it was an accident, Papi, and I'm not mad. Just...don't tug on me, okay?" I said softly._

 _She nodded and pulled away, and Miia came up next. She bit her lip, her face miserable. She suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm sorry, too, Darling. I wasn't thinking and you got injured even more because of me." Miia mumbled into my shoulder._

" _Seriously," I said firmly, "I'm not dead, it's just a concussion. And while they're not fun, I can deal with them. I accept your apologies, both of you, so calm down, okay?"_

 _Miia nodded and pulled away, and Rachnee began steering me towards the stairs. "I know Smith said she would take care of you," She commented, carefully gripping my arm. "But if you need anything at all, just ask, okay Honey?"_

 _Once I was seated on the couch with my feet up, I tugged on Rachnee's hand. "Can you fix up some coffee for me, please?" I asked politely, "Caffeine usually helps with my headaches."_

 _She nodded and went off to make some coffee while the other two sat around, looking anxious and keeping their eyes on me. It was getting annoying, actually. They looked like they were ready to restrain me if I were charge at the nearby wall for some reason._

…

Saul was pulled from his thoughts as he took a seat in the hospital's lobby, heaving a relieved sigh. It was easier to avoid falling over when one had their ass planted in a chair, after all. Smith was checking him in, and it would probably take a couple of minutes to get called back to see the doctor.

"Saul Dewitt!" A nurse called about a second later. _Apparently not,_ the man in question thought as he raised his hand and followed the nurse into the back, Smith at his side. They were led into a room where the kindly bearded visage of the Dr. Miyazaki waited patiently.

Taking a seat on the stool, Saul waited as the older gentleman went through the check-up, shining a light in his eyes to test pupil dilation, gently prodding the back of his head to see how his skull was dealing with the bruise, making him follow the finger he waved in his face, that sort of thing.

"Well," Miyazaki sighed, sitting back down. "You seem to be healing alright, Mr. Dewitt, though not as fast as I'd like. Stress can have a negative effect on healing; are you experiencing a high amount of stress?"

…

 _That would be one way to put it. Papi and Miia meant well, but...they weren't the best at taking care of someone. Papi tried to bring me a cup of hot tea, ignoring the fact that she has small talons instead of thumbs, and ended up spilling it all over Miia's shirt._

 _Then, Miia tried to act as my personal blanket and ended up falling asleep because of my body heat...and she was a strong, unconscious grip. Long story short, I had to sacrifice a pillow to the cuddle-gods in exchange for my unbroken bones. And I need to buy another pillow._

 _I think Miia meant to make chicken soup at one point, but I heard screaming coming from the kitchen, and shrieks of, 'It's alive!' and decided not to bother with finding out._

 _Rachnee, thankfully, was there to deal with them, and ended up having to banish them from the living room before they inadvertently increased the damage. It was almost sisterly of her._

 _And then Smith came back, but she brought guests._

" _For the last time, I am_ not _playing hooky!" I heard her normally cheerful voice raised in annoyance. "I am actually taking care of someone!"_

" _RIght, because you haven't used that excuse before!" A rough female voice answered derisively, "Seriously, Smith, I'm not covering for you."_

 _A deeper, but still feminine voice replied, "But what if she's actually taking care of someone, Zombina?"_

 _I let my head fall back over the couch, looking down the hallway as a harried Smith entered the house, followed by a few more people than I had expected._

 _One was a woman with sharply cut red hair and a yellow and green eye. I guess you could say she had a killer figure, which she showed off with a vest over a low-cut shirt. Her skin was decorated with a multitude of stitches, and her mouth was full of sharp teeth._

 _Behind her was a slender girl with a princess hairstyle, I think it's called, wearing a pleasant looking summer dress and a large, wide-brimmed hat that hid her face._

 _Next to her was an even smaller girl who was wearing nothing except her long, winding silver hair that barely covered up her 'inappropriate' spots and left everything else bare. Her skin was a deep tan that many a ganguro girl would be envious of, with mischievous yellow eyes that stood out because of her black sclera._

 _And behind all of them was the largest girl I have ever seen, and subsequently, the largest chest I've ever seen. She had light red skin and a large, deep-red horn curving up from her forehead, with a sweet face and a rather fashionable dress that bared plenty of skin, though I believe that's because the amount of cloth that would be necessary to make a dress that covered her up entirely would require the cloth similar to the amount needed to make a four-person tent. Or just personal taste, I guess._

 _Rachnee crossed her arms, an irritated slant to her numerous eyes as she glared at the noisy newcomers. "Is there a party that we don't know about, Smith?" She called with an annoyed tone._

 _The beautiful government agent looked up from taking off her heels, brushing her long black bangs away from her face with a sigh. "No, just my belligerent co-workers refusing to believe me."_

" _What's up with the dude?" The patchwork beauty asked bluntly, pointing at me, still slumped over the couch._

" _He's the man I'm taking care of," Smith replied shortly, and from what I could tell from her body language, she was resisting the urge to chuck her shoe at the other woman's head._

" _He looks just fine to me." That was accompanied by a wink. I don't know if that was supposed to be salacious or not. She looks like some kind of undead, which bears the question...would it be necrophilia if someone had sex with her?_

 _The slender girl in the dress tilted her hat up, only enough for me to catch a flash of purple. "He has a concussion." She muttered, nudging the taller woman in the side._

 _The patchworked woman scoffed. "Just walk it off, that's what I'd do."_

 _The girl in the dress stuttered, "Ah, Zombina, you're dead. You can walk off most everything." So I was right, she's undead. The necrophilia question still needs to be answered._

 _So that was the time I met M.O.N. and it ended with Tio, the big one, cuddling me like I was a human teddy bear. So yes-_

"-you could say I've been dealing with some stress." Saul finished bluntly. _Though the reason Rachnee was annoyed was because she was massaging the back of my head with her fingers coated in her spit to see if it would help. It didn't, but we both enjoyed it._

Dr. Miyazaki stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I see how that could be stressful. Here's my recommendation: find a place you can relax for a couple of days, and I want you to try something called, 'Cold and Hot' therapy. Have you heard of IcyHot?"

 _They played those damn commercials all the time, how could I not?_ "Yup."

"So you know the method of it, Icy to soothe pain, Hot to relax it away." At my nod, the doctor continued. "What I want you to do is get an icepack, or something else cold, and keep it against your head for awhile, and then take a hot bath. And do both through the day as many times as it seems necessary."

Saul nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll try that out."

Smith suddenly stood from her seat, brushing her skirt off. "I'll be outside, I have a call to make." She announced before leaving.

At the confused look the foreigner gave him, the doctor shrugged. "You did call her and a few of her coworkers pretty to her face. She could be embarrassed. Well, besides that, drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest, okay?"

"I will, doctor. Thank you."

Miyazaki shook his hand and shooed him out the door. "Just doing my job. Let me know hoe you're doing in a couple of days, okay?"

Agreeing, Saul left the office and exited the hospital, finding Smith standing just outside with her phone to her ear. "Yes. Okay. Yes, that's what he said. Alright, bye." She closed the connection and pocketed her phone, joining her charge in walking home.

"So…." He started tentatively. "You, uh...I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Smith turned to him with an arched eyebrow. "Uncomfortable how?" She asked in confusion.

"Well, when I was telling the doctor…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"When you called me beautiful?" She replied, a smile playing about her lips.

"Yeah…"

Smith shrugged slightly. "I know I'm attractive, Saul, and I don't mind hearing it. I'm not embarrassed that you think that."

Sighing, Saul nodded. "Okay. So, what was the phone call about?"

The beautiful government agent shrugged. "Something I think you'll like. When we get you home, you'll want to pack your bags with a couple days worth of clothes." She answered with a secretive smirk.

Narrowing his eyes on her, Saul followed her back to his house.

…

After he arrived home, Smith left him there saying should would be back in an hour and to be ready to leave by then. Still suspicious, Saul directed the girls to gather some clothes while he packed, and by the time they were done, a cargo truck and a van had pulled up.

They piled into the vehicles and left, driving for nearly an hour and a half before coming to a stop deep into the suburbs.

Exiting the vehicles, the tenants of Saul's house found themselves in front of a traditional onsen, though part of it seemed to be under construction. "Okay, we packed up and drove all the way here, Smith. What's going on?" Saul asked seriously, looking firmly at the government agent.

She held up a long finger, then pointed at the family of three approaching the group. "Welcome!" They greeted in unison, bowing deeply.

Nonplussed, the bowed back. "Seriously." Saul muttered, more suspicious than ever.

"Part of the baths are still under construction, but the others should be ready for use!" The women of the human trio spoke up, a smile on her motherly face. "I can't wait to hear what you think of the first mixed-species bathing in Japan!"

Another truck pulled up, though the cargo section of it looked to a refrigerator unit, for some reason. Another agent stepped out of the front, this one a thin man with a mop of blond hair. "Good afternoon, Yugakure Family and guests," He greeted in a bored, flat tone. "I have brought your homestay. Please exit the vehicle, ma'am."

The truck door slid open, letting a wave of mist roll out of it. It was followed by a long, pale leg, which was then followed by the body of a woman. She had an almost unearthly beauty, with pale, nearly blue skin and long white hair held up in a ponytail that looked to be made of ice and resembled a snowflake. She was tall, standing above Saul by a few inches, with a slender but curvaceous body covered by a stately dark blue kimono that was decorated with snowflakes. Her face was smooth and placid, bare of expression, so Saul looked into her pupil-less ice-blue eyes and found that they looked more than a little nervous.

 _She's probably a Yuki-Onna,_ He guessed, _Or some other kind of ice-based Extraspecies. Why else would she be wearing so much ice-related stuff? And a hairpiece made of actual ice?_

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She said, bowing stiffly to him, her voice as flat and inflectionless as her face.

Saul blinked in surprise as the blond agent pointed at the family behind him. "That family is your homestay, Yukio." He corrected.

Yukio's eyes widened a fraction, looking slightly panicked. A small patch of ice grew under her feet and she turned and bowed deeply to her homestay. "Excuse me. My name is Yukio, a Yuki-Onna. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The family bowed in return while they watched, Saul thinking, _Called it._ He noticed that the boy of the family, a fairly bishy-looking fellow who looked to be fifteen, sixteen at the most, blushed as he glanced at the beautiful Yuki-Onna.

"Please, come on, and enjoy your stay at our house." The Yugakure family uttered, gesturing for them to follow them into the building.

As they began to walk, Smith spoke up. "Excuse me, Yukio, can I speak to you for a second?"

Giving a confused tilt of her head, the stately woman nodded and walked to the agent as the others left them behind.

…

"This place is amazing!" Miia cheered happily, throwing herself on a wide bed.

Papi had built herself a small nest out of pillows and was sleeping in them, tired out from the journey. Seeing that his girls were happy with their spots, Saul announced, "I'm going to start my therapy, alright? I'll be around."

Rachnee hummed in acknowledgement, unpacking her clothes in her room. _Time to find something cold._ Saul thought to himself, leaving the room and almost immediately running into Yukio and Smith.

"Ah, Honey, just who I was looking for." Smith greeted him with a smile. "I was just talking to Yukio here, and she has graciously agreed to help you with your therapy."

The Yuki-Onna bowed stiffly. "I would be happy to help." She said tonelessly, though Saul could see that she meant it.

"I appreciate it." He replied gratefully, awkwardly returning the bow. "I'm actually just about to start. Would you like to meet at the pool in the floor below?"

"That would be acceptable." Yukio replied flatly, moving off after bowing again.

 _Well, that's not going to be weird._ Saul thought dryly, turning to Smith. "This was what you were planning, huh?"

Smith nodded in reply. "Yup. You were right that we've been a big stressor in your life, and I figured that we owed it to you to help out. I remembered seeing Yukio's file pass my desk, and I figured I would kill to birds with one onsen, as it were."

"Thanks." The author said thankfully. "Are you going to be staying?"

"Hah!" Smith barked out a humorless laugh. "No, sorry. As much as I would like to, I can't avoid work for that long. I will be back to pick you up in a week, however."

Seized by a sudden urge, Saul stepped forward and wrapped the agent in a tight hug. "Seriously, Smith, thank you. You don't think all of this was a little much, though?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

Smith quirked an eyebrow in question. "Are you saying you don't like it?" She questioned teasingly.

"No, I do, but still…" He stepped back with a shrug. "See you later, Smith. Don't work too hard, okay?"

She winked at him over her sunglasses and smiled. "I'll do my best, Honey."

…

Arriving at the onsen, Saul dressed himself down and got a quick rinse before pulling on a pair of trunks and entered the hotspring proper, finding the owner's son hovering nervously over a quietly sweating Yukio, who wore a tight but modest one-piece bathing suit. "Are you sure you're alright, Ms. Yukio?" He asked, fluttering about.

"I am fine, thank you, Mr. Saoru." She replied in her emotionless tone.

Saoru looked slightly disappointed, nodding and leaving the onsen. "Hey, Yukio," Saul greeted, taking a seat next to her. He frowned slightly, noticing the color in her cheeks. "You look uncomfortable." He noted.

She shrugged shakily. "If I am to be living here for the foreseeable future, I will have to get used to the heat of the water." Yukio commented dryly.

Shrugging, Sual settled down. "So, did Smith explain it to you?"

"Yes. Please, let me see your head." It was toneless, but still sounded a bit like an order to him.

He bowed his head in front of her, shivering lightly as her cool fingers gently probed the back of his head. "Please tell me when you are done."

Saul breathed deep as Yukio cupped his injury, the coolness gently seeping through his skin and into his brain, soothing the throbbing there.

It felt like an hour passed, though he doubted it was that long. Sighing, he extracted his head from her hands. "I think I'm good for now, thanks." Looking up at her, Saul was instantly concerned by the unhealthy pink color of her skin and the rivulets of sweat running down her skin. Even her icy hairpiece was half-melted. "Oh crap. Yukio, are you alright?" _Obviously not._

The Yuki-Onna managed a half-hearted shake of her head, and a muttered, "I am fine," but the lack of volume and the shakiness in her tone belied her distress.

"Alright, my health is no reason to hurt your own," Saul said firmly, standing and pulling the woman to her feet. "There should be some colder baths nearby, if I read the directory right."

Taking her by her hand, the human led the quietly protesting woman down the halls and into a colder bath. He helped her into the less-than lukewarm water and sat her down, taking a seat next to her. "Better?"

Yukio nodded slowly, the color draining from her face. "Yes, this is much better, thank you." She replied flatly, her eyes showing relief.

Nodding, Sual settled into the seat and sighed. "Sorry for pulling you along, but you looked like you were about to faint, there." He apologized.

"It...it's alright." She replied quietly, gently splashing the water with her hands. "I'm afraid I was on the verge of fainting, and I am grateful you insisted."

"No problem." Saul said, sighing. "We can try again in a lower-heated spring when you feel ready for it, okay?"

Yukio nodded, her skin returning to its former coloration.

They sat in the water for a long while, simply enjoying the air of companionship. After she felt better, the Yuki-Onna stood from the water, simply stating, "I am ready."

Saul led her to a nearby spring that was not as hot as the others, but still quite warm. Once more, he bowed his head in front of her, letting her fingers descend on his head.

When he felt he'd had enough, they entered the spring together, the human groaning in relief as the warm water began to soothe his pain away. The small wave of coldness that he felt on his side let him know that Yukio had slipped into the spring and was sitting next to him. Keeping this in mind, he closed his eyes and rested, letting his mind go blank.

…

"So, how has your experience been so far?" The mother of the Yugakure family asked the table at large with a motherly smile.

"I haven't had the chance to try out your springs yet, Mrs. Junko." Rachnee replied respectfully at the other end of the table, "But Honey says they are very nice."

Kaoru, the father, looked up from his bowl with a wide smile. "That is very good to hear, I hope you try them soon." He glanced down the table and nudged his son in the side. "Eat."

Saoru had been fluttering around Yukio once again, asking her if she was alright or if she needed anything at all. "Sorry. Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"No, thank you Mr. Saoru." Yukio replied flatly.

Saul noticed that her eyes had shone with irritation, and that her shoulders were tense, though most wouldn't notice. He also saw that she was glancing at a plate of seaweed, and so he grabbed it from the table and passed it to her before focusing on his meal.

The Yuki-Onna paused slightly, glancing at the author with slightly confused eyes. Noticing the looks she was shooting her host, Rachnee arched a slim eyebrow and shrugged.

…

Later that night, Saul was heading up to his room when he heard a muttered, "Oh my," and felt a sudden burst of cold air coming from the door he was walking by.

"Yukio?" He asked tentatively. "Are you alright?"

The door slid open just a touch, exposing the Yuki-Onna's face, which had small splotches of blue on her cheeks. "I am fine, Mr. Dewitt. I just...I'm fine." She somehow managed to stutter, even with her flat tone.

"Okay." He nodded, stepping away. "I just wanted to say goodnight, and just reiterate that I appreciate you helping me with my therapy. If there's anything I can do to return the favor, just let me know, alright?"

Yukio nodded slowly, a cool breeze brushing against Saul's face. "I will keep that in mind, Mr. Dewitt. Good night."

"Just call me Saul, Yukio. Good night." With that, he left and went to his room, yawning as he entered. "Night, ladies. I'll see you in the morning."

"Darling!" Miia called, quickly slithering over and wrapping him in a tight hug. "Spend the day with us, tomorrow!"

Slightly caught off-guard, the author patted the Lamia on the back. "Alright...let's go out for lunch, then."

"Yay!" She cheered, "It's a date!"

Rachnee quickly corrected her. "We're all going, not just you, Miia."

The red-haired girl huffed and turned away as Papi gave Saul an enthusiastic hug. "Good night, Hubby!" She said cheerfully.

 _Hubby?_ Saul thought tiredly. _First it was Honey, then it was Darling, and now it's Hubby. What next?_ "Night Papi. Night Rachnee." He waved to the Arachnee, who waved back, and entered his room, closing the door behind him.

"It's not fair!" Miia pouted, "First, Darling spends the morning with Smith, then the rest of it with the frigid one! And now everyone's coming on our lunch date?"

Rachnee rolled her eyes at the dramatic Lamia. "First off, stop being so damn pouty, Snakey. You'll get wrinkles." She said with a teasing smirk. "If you're so jealous, just ask Honey to spend time with you, it's that simple."

Miia turned an amber glare on the Arachne. "What, like you're not jealous he's spending all his time with other women?" She asked derisively. "Please."

Rachnee shrugged uncaringly. "I'm not. I don't care who Honey spends his time with." _He always comes home to me, anyways._

The Lamia huffed and slumped on her bed as Rachnee turned out the lights and entered her room. She closed the door behind her and then carefully slipped out of her window, crawling around the outside of the building and finding Saul's window already open for her. "Hey, Honey."

Saul rolled over and smiled sleepily at her, patting his bed. "Hey, Rachnee. Come sleep."

Quickly spinning a hammock, Rachnee used it to support her lower body while her upper was laid on top of Saul, her arms wrapping around him. "Good night, Honey." She whispered, her blush hidden in the dark.

His arms came up around her, his nose nuzzling her lavender hair. "Night, Rachnee." He murmured, already half-way asleep.

…

…

…

 **A/N: So yeah, Yukio's in. I was easily persuaded by Psudocode Samurai's suggestion, and I wanted to be persuaded. Plus, his ideas were really good, and I had to use them, so I did.**

 **I know I kind of harped on about Saul being injured, but….Yukio. So shut up.**

 **I don't have much to say, it's midnight where I live, and I just uploaded chapter five of Dare To Wander a couple hours ago, so I'm pretty damn tired. Typing a lot will do that to a person...and his hands. At least I'll be sleeping soon.**

 **I've also been looping the 'Alive 2007 Daft Punk' most of the day. It's a really good live event, and it's been pretty...motivational? I don't know, as I said, I'm tired.**

 **I'll probably work on the next chapter of JotWE tomorrow, but who knows. See yall's later**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Thanks to Psudocode Samurai for the ideas, by the way. And Daft Punk for the music. And youtube for letting me stream. I'll be here all night if I don't stop now. Nighty-night.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	6. A Day With The Girls

Saul had always awoken in the slightly weird manner. After he fell asleep, he would dream. And when it was time to wake up, the dream would fade and suddenly, he was awake. Sometimes, it felt like his eyes had never closed, and awoke to find himself staring at the ceiling.

Saul woke up quickly, taking a deep breath of the cool morning air. He blinked, glancing around at the strange room he found himself in, before the previous days' events rushed back. And then he remembered who was sleeping with him, tilting his head down and getting an eyeful of lavender hair. He stroked Rachnee's back as she snuggled against him, her arms wrapped around his torso, and he could feel the blunt pair of legs she had wrapped around his thighs, giving him a multi-limbed hug.

The author played with a few strands of her hair, looking down at her sleeping face. Rachnera usually kept a pretty placid visage, sometimes even looking bored. When it came to Miia and Papi, she typically looked irritated by their antics, or taunting smirk curled her lips. But, when it came to her host and frequent cuddle-buddy, those looks became soft smiles and teasing glances, with pink cheeks. Which he just as frequently matched.

Though she did look annoyed when he slipped out of her web traps. He would probably never admit it out loud, but the flustered look on Rachnee's face when she saw that he had escaped yet another binding attempt always made him want to make unmanly 'awww' noises and give her a hug, the latter of which he did do. There was nothing against that in the rule book.

Saul gently stroked her cheek with his fingers, marveling at the soft feel of fair skin. _I really don't know how much longer I can hold back from doing something I won't regret...until I get arrested and deported, that is._ He sighed as Rachnee snuggled against him, his robe having opened a little so that she was rubbing her cheek against the bare skin of his chest. _And my life used to be simple._

Heaving a sigh, he carefully slipped out of her arms and replaced himself with his pillow and slipped out of his room, silently padding across the floor to slip out into the hall. Saul found the hotel and hotsprings building to be silent, except for the chirping of early morning birds. Not that he didn't mind, per se, and the heated floors felt very nice on his bare feet.

Walking down the stairs, Saul stumbled on the last few steps and nearly took a fall, seizing the banister to halt his sudden descent. "This is why I hate being impaired!" He growled to himself, shaking the sudden dizziness attack off. "And why I never get drunk."

Stepping into the large kitchen, the author made himself a cup of green tea, and noticed that it was five-thirty in the morning. Shrugging, he retrieved his cup and after dropping some honey into it, Saul exited the kitchen and sat on the back porch, taking in the silence. Sipping his tea, he frowned slightly as he noticed that the clouds overhead were a light, overcast grey.

 _That's odd._ Saul thought, _Most days are basically cloudless, and even when it rains, the clouds are those white fluffy bastards that look like cotton. Weird._

He shrugged and took another drink, settling the cup down before folding his legs and settling into a comfortable sitting position. Taking a deep breath, he lost his thoughts and delved into a meditative trance, ignoring the slight chill in the air. Naturally, this brought up memories of his mysterious ninja training, which he watched like one would a movie.

…

 _Despite everything I knew about ninjas, the bearded, curmudgeonly old man I expected to teach me was actually a youthful looking woman with average but pretty features. She looked like any face in a crowd._

 _And that, over everything else, was one of my first signs that 'ninja training' would not be learning how to harness my natural energies and shooting fireballs out of my mouth or shouting a lot about friendship._

 _Fucking_ score _, man._

 _The woman, Toshiko, smiled slightly. "Good morning, Saul. I see you are up bright and early. That is good. Today, we will start on your first training section."_

" _Which is?" I asked, sitting before her in a simple pair of pants and tank-top._

 _She stood slowly, motioning for me to do the same, so I did. Walking around, she bound my hands behind my back with a rope. "Rope Escape Techniques. While getting caught is frowned on as a ninja, being able to escape from any bond is a staple of our abilities. We will start simply."_

 _Toshiko stepped back in front of me, hands clasped in front of her. "Now, escape."_

 _It took me ten minutes and a fair amount of struggling, but I managed to get free. Toshiko tutted and shook her head sadly. "That took you far too long, and your actions were most inefficient. Let me show you how."_

 _A man, just as average-looking as my teacher entered and tied her hands in much the same way mine had been. With a very simple twist of her wrists, the knotted rope slid from her smooth hands and slapped on the ground. It took maybe three seconds._

 _And I felt like an idiot._

…

 _After three weeks, I learned how to slip out of almost every way someone could be tied up, though I was severely rope-burned by that time._

" _Now," Toshiko murmured, her brown eyes alight with something, once more tying my arms up behind me. "Escape."_

 _As I started to slip out, she darted forward and pressed her lips to mine, her hand slipping around to gently grip the back of my neck, her slim tongue slipping between my lips._

' _This has to be some kind of trick,' I remember thinking, untangling the rope and dropping it to the floor. My teacher drew back at the sound, licking her light pink lips. "What the hell?" I asked, more than a little shocked._

 _Toshiko nodded in approval. "You escaped your binds despite the distraction I presented you. Very good, my student. Next, we move on." I found her hand on my chest, pushing me back and onto a chair that I didn't remember seeing, and she moved quickly to bind me to the chair, arms and legs._

 _Then, she sat on my lap and loosened the top of her dark blue kimono, showing a good view of her cleavage. "Now," She whispered, leaning in and blowing a hot breath into my ear. "Escape."_

 _Then, she drew a small blade the size of her pinkie from somewhere on her body and slid it up the front of my tank-top, splitting the fabric easily._

" _What if I don't want to escape?" I asked as blandly as I could, working at the knots on my hands._

 _Toshiko, normally wearing a placid visage, smirked. "Well, my student...then you wouldn't get to tie_ me _up."_

 _Needless to say, I escaped in record time._

 _Then I was taught to turn 'record time' into 'every time'._

 _And then I got to tie her up._

…

Saul coughed lightly as he was pulled out of his thoughts. _This isn't exactly conducive to mediation._ He thought dryly, drinking his cooling tea. _Though, those are good memories. Who knew such a calm-looking woman had such a voice? I didn't._

He sighed and looked up at the sky, noticing that, while the out of season cloud cover was still hanging around like a grey shroud, everything was definitely lighter. Which meant that the sun had risen.

"Darling!" Miia called from the kitchen, waving from the door. "What are you doing outside? You'll catch a cold!"

Saul shrugged and stood up, grabbing his cup and walking to the Lamia. "I'll be fine, it's not _that_ cold. Besides, it's not like it bothers me. I quite like cold weather, actually. I probably get that from my dad's side of the family." He replied blithely, finishing his cup of tea.

The crimson-haired girl shuddered theatrically. "How can anyone like the cold? It's so...urgh!"

 _Considering that she's a poikilotherm, I can see why Miia wouldn't understand._ Saul thought, entering the kitchen and setting his cup down, the motherly Junko standing at the stove making breakfast while her husband made the coffee. "I find it refreshing. Some people just whine too much."

"Ah, Mr. Dewitt!" Junko greeted him with a kind smile. "I saw you out back when I came down this morning. You were out there for quite a while. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, settling her concerns. "Meditation has a way of making me lose track of time and I can get deep into it. A good shake usually brings me out, though. What time is it, by the way?"

The proprietor checked the clock on the stove and replied, "8:33."

 _About three hours. Damn, that was long._ "Huh. Need any help?" Saul asked politely.

Junko shook her head. "We have it handled, Mr. Dewitt. As the host, it is our duty to take care of our visitors. Not that I don't appreciate the offer." She finished with a nod.

"Alright." He left the kitchen and took up a seat at the table, Miia leaning on his shoulder.

"What was that about your dad's side of the family, Darling?" She asked interestedly.

Rachnee walked into the room, followed by a tired-looking Papi. "What about family?"

Miia shot a glare at the Arachne, leaning on her host even more and holding his arm to her chest. "Darling was just telling _me_ about his family." She said with emphasis on herself.

"Oh." Rachnee muttered, ignoring the attempt to lock her out of the conversation. "So, your family, Honey?"

Saul shrugged, cracking his neck. "Well, Miia said something about catching a cold, I told her the cold never bothers me anyway, probably because of my dad's side of the family."

"Cold?" The flat, feminine voice of Yukio asked, stepping into the dining room.

The author sighed. "Yes. I said I get my resistance and actual enjoyment of low temperatures from my dad's side of the family, and that is because I'm maybe half Norwegian from that side." He glanced up in thought. "Well, partly Norwegian and partly German. And partly Japanese."

"Really?" Rachnee questioned with a disbelieving smile. "You, Japanese?" Her eyes flicked over his seated body, taking in his definitely Caucasian features, including platinum brown hair, lightly-tanned skin, blue eyes and taller than the average Japanese male height.

Saul clicked his tongue, obviously having heard that before. "It's not the first time my ethnicity has been called into question." He muttered unhappily. "Okay, so my grandma is half-Japanese, as in she was born here and moved to America with her mother. She met an Irish guy and had my mom, who is a quarter Japanese and does not look anything like it. She met my dad and had me. I'm one-eighth Japanese. I'm Norwegian and German on my dad's side, who I'm very similar to in looks."

The girls hummed in thought. The hosts entered the dining room carrying the morning meal, having heard everything as the kitchen was not far away. "That is very interesting, Mr. Dewitt." Kaoru said politely, setting a tray of drinks down. "Tell me, where do you get your hair done? I was thinking of getting some color in mine, and I'd like to hear your recommendations."

Saul looked up from his plate with a confused look. "Hair done?" He asked confusedly. "This is my natural hair color." Seeing the disbelieving looks, he sighed again and put his chopsticks down. "I was born with bright, corn-silk blond hair that turned brown as I got older. And even further down the line, the blond started coming back, but only a little bit, enough to give my hair that kind of silver-ish brown-ish sheen. I call it platinum brown, because 'brown-ish silver-ish blond-ish' is a bit of a mouthful."

He took a gulp of his coffee, not hiding the annoyed look on his face. _What is this, Ask-Saul-About-His-Everything Day?_ He thought acidly. Incidentally, the author didn't much like sharing about himself.

Yukio, having taken a seat on his left, (with Saoru taking the seat next to her) reached out and laid the tips of her fingers on his arm, drawing his attention to her. Her face was as placid as ever, but her eyes were sympathetic. _The Extraspecies girls would know what it's liked to be asked a bunch of annoying questions,_ Saul reasoned, starting in on his breakfast with a small nod to her.

"I apologize if I offended you, Mr. Dewitt." Kaoru apologized with a short bow.

The author waved it off. "It's fine, I just don't like talking about myself. And please, call me Saul. You say Mr. Dewitt and I look for my agent."

The proprietor nodded in response, while his son anxiously asked Yukio, "Is everything alright, Ms. Yukio? Nothing is too hot for you, right? Should I open a window or get you some water?" He was fluttering around her like a particularly squeaky moth.

"No, thank you Mr. Saoru." Yukio replied flatly, the young man gaining a slightly hurt look at being brushed off so simply.

"I'm just trying to help," He murmured sadly.

The Yuki-Onna straightened up, her eyes glinting. "I do appreciate the thought, but I do not require anything at this moment."

"Oh," The young man perked up, looking cheerful. "Okay then. How was I supposed to know, though? I can't tell anything from your face."

Yukio flinched almost invisibly as Saul looked at the two with a slightly confused. _It seemed pretty clear to me._ He thought, frowning lightly as the white-haired woman picked at her food. He noticed that, despite her flat visage, she looked sad. Her shoulders were hunched just a little, a near invisible downturn to the corners of her lips. Recalling what she had done, he reached over and touched her arm, drawing her attention. Her frosty, pupil-less eyes met his greyish blue, and he smiled understandingly at her.

A tiny creak rang through the air as small fingers of ice spread across the wooden surface of the table, originating from Yukio's left arm, which was lying on the surface. "Ms. Yukio!" Saoru cried, drawing back. "Are you alright?"

The ice woman coughed lightly, a light bloom of blue in her cheeks. "Yes," She muttered, looking away from all the attention she was receiving. "I just...excuse me, I believe it is time for your morning session, Mr. Dewitt." She stood from the table and (very gently) seized his wrist, insistently pulling him from the table.

"O-kay," He said blankly, not quite sure how to handle the sudden turn of events. _Well, 'just go with it' usually works._ "Well, later." Saul called back to people in the dining room, noticing on the way out that the Saoru was giving him an annoyed look. _What is that about?_ "Um, Yukio? What was with the sudden ice? I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?"

A small trail of ice was left behind her feet, and quickly melted away due to the heated floors. "No, Mr. Dewitt, I wasn't...uncomfortable, exactly, I just...when I feel strong emotions, I sometimes lose control over my abilities." She replied tonelessly, still leading him by the wrist.

"We just passed the hot springs," He noted as they strode right past the doors. "I thought that's where we were going?"

Yukio stopped at an empty guest room and closed the door behind them. "I was looking up therapy techniques on the inter-web last night, and I discovered a few things I wanted to try." Her cheeks darkened slightly as a small sheet of ice formed under her feet. "...Among other things."

Saul nodded sagely. "I understand. You went in looking for something specific, and you ended up spending two hours looking at funny pictures until you came across something really weird. Happens to me all the time."

"...Let's go with that." The icy woman murmured. "I need you to remove your top and lay down."

Arching an eyebrow, the author obliged, lying on his stomach. "Now what?" He jumped slightly as her cool fingers began to knead and prod at the muscles in his back, making him groan in relief. "Okay, that's nice."

Yukio continued her massage, earning more sounds of pleasure from the human, her skilled hands gently finding the knots in his back and soothing them away, trying to ignore the pleasant warmth she felt immersed in, and the small pool of ice gathering under her knees. Once she reached the back of his neck, she stood and retrieved an electric blanket, wrapping Saul's upper body in it and turning it on. Then, she knelt in front of his head and grasped the sides, pulling his head up and resting it on the middle of her thighs, so that he was looking at the floor, and was still able to breathe.

Then, she began to work on the back of his head.

"No offense, Yukio," He whispered to the floor. "But I might fall asleep."

"That is alright, Mr. Dewitt." She said quietly. "Sleeping is an important part of the healing process, after all."

"Call me Saul." He murmured, his words slurring. "Hate it when...people call me 'Mr'...especially cute girls. Makes me feel...like a creep."

Yukio, ironically, froze as she realized his words. Her eyes went wide, and steam began to emanate from her body. _He called me cute…_ She thought slowly, blinking in realization. _He thinks I'm cute?_

"What do you think of me...Saul?" She asked quietly, resuming her ministrations on his head.

He snuffled sleepily, almost asleep. "Cute...quiet...sweet…interesting..." He mumbled, snoring a little.

Yukio gulped audibly, licking her lips as blue blossomed on her visage. Deciding not to push her luck, she continued to massage his head, and Saul slept, none the wiser about what he said.

…

Saul woke up suddenly, feeling very relaxed and cool, but oddly warm. Blinking the grogginess away, he looked around the guest room, trying to remember how he had ended up there. _Oh,_ He realized, _I fell asleep. That's a little embarrassing._

He felt cool fingers running through his hair, causing him to roll over and look up at the person doing so, and came face-to-face with Yukio, who blushed lightly. "Hey," He muttered, taking a deep breath. "Sorry about that."

Yukio, still with his head in her lap, only nodded slightly. "It is fine." She replied blandly. "How are you feeling?"

Sitting up, Saul stretched and shook his head. "Much better, actually. Not all the way fixed, but better." He turned to her and smiled gratefully. "I really appreciate it, Yukio. You know, if you want me to, I could return the favor."

She blinked, tilting her head in a cute manner. "What do you mean?" She finally asked.

"Well, coming to a new place and meeting new people is stressful." Saul replied easily, shrugging. "You must be under a lot of pressure. Massages help with that, as you've just proven. I could give you one."

Yukio hummed, playing with the hem of her kimono. "I might take you up on that offer, Saul. Maybe later. For now, I believe we are done."

"Alright," He said standing up and offering her his hand. She looked from his hand to his face for a few seconds, before taking it and being gently pulled to her feet. "Well, just ask if you want to."

…

"This place is pretty!" Papi cheered, skipping ahead of Miia and Saul, her cobalt hair bobbing with every little jump. "There's so much open space to fly!"

"Don't go above the tree tops, Papi!" Saul called to the harpy as she took off. "So, where do you want to go for lunch?"

Rachnee hummed thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the area around them while Miia simmered quietly with one of Saul's arms clutched to her chest. The Lamia had tried to hurry her host out of the door before Papi and the Arachne could join up, thus leaving them behind. However, Rachnee had foreseen such a thing and had responded by waiting for them just outside of the door.

Presently, the foursome were trotting through the large park of the town, which gave a good view of small eateries and other shops on one side, and a wide open vista of a field decorated with a playground and a lake further on. The clouds that had been present earlier in the morning still remained, though they seemed to center around the Onsen for some strange reason.

"What about there?" Rachnee asked, pointing at a building with a sign proclaiming 'Oishi Sushi'. "I could go for some sushi."

Saul nodded in agreement, turning to Miia. "How does that sound, Miia?" Papi would go anywhere as long as what they served could be categorized as 'edible'.

"Yeah, sure, whatever's good Darling." She muttered with an unfocused tone. She had been really looking forward to a date with her host, and the wall-crawler had foiled her plans rather neatly.

Shrugging, the author directed their path to the sushi place, putting a hand around his mouth. "Papi!" He yelled, trying to get her attention. "We're going to get some food!"

By the time they had reached the doors, Papi had joined them and was skipping ahead, fruitlessly attempting to pull them open despite her lack of useful thumbs. Saul pulled both doors open and let the ladies go through first and followed after, noting that the restaurant was only about half full; plenty of room for the girls and their diverse bodies.

It was one of the conveyor places, where a long counter with a conveyor belt had freshly-made dishes placed on it that carried it around that section of the restaurant, and the customers could pick whatever dishes they fancied at their leisure. Bigger, more expensive dishes could be ordered from the waitresses along with drinks. This meant that Rachnee and Miia, with their extensive lower sections, could take up places at the counter while Saul and Papi sat on stools and they could comfortably eat as a group.

Once comfortable, Saul plucked a plate of spicy tuna rolls from the belt and started eating, glancing at the girls' dishes. Rachnee had just grabbed the first thing she saw, which was a shrimp dish. Papi did the same while also gathering a small dish, placing the small scoop of wasabi in it. Miia had waited for a bit before gleefully snatching a plate of unagi rolls from the belt and digging in.

After ordering a pot of tea for them to share, the author turned a curious look on the Lamia. Becoming aware of his gaze, she turned to him with a piece of sushi hanging out of her mouth. "What?"

"Eel?" He asked, gesturing to her plate with his chopsticks. "Isn't that sort of like cannibalism?"

Slurping it up, Miia shook her head. "No! Well, sort of, but only kinda…" She blushed at the arched an eyebrow. "It's like cannibalism in the way that you eating a monkey would be!"

Saul sipped from his cup, both eyebrows lifting. "Why would I eat a monkey?" He asked plainly, eating a piece of pickled ginger. At her sputtering, he smiled teasingly. "I'm just kidding, Miia, I know what you mean."

Huffing, Miia turned away as she grabbed another dish. "You can be so mean, darling." She grumbled.

Rachnee chuckled as Papi finished off another plate. "I like it."

Piling his plates, the author snagged a simple California roll. "So, ladies, what do you think of the Onsen so far?"

"There are so many birdbaths!" Papi chimed in, taking another scoop of wasabi and putting in the dish with about six others. "Papi can't wait to swim in them!"

"I like the heated floors, darling, and how everything is so old-styled!" Miia replied happily. "It's so charming!"

The Arachne among them simply shrugged, sipping her water. "Eh, it's not bad, but hot springs aren't exactly my thing." She laid an arm around Saul's shoulder and pulled him closer to her. "I do like that we get to spend more time together, Honey."

He smiled slightly at the affectionate gesture, before frowning as a common theme in their sentences hit his mind. "Wait, you girls haven't gone into the springs yet?" At their shaking heads, he asked, "Why?"

"Because we wanted to go in with you, darling." Miia answered simply.

Saul blinked in surprise. "...Huh. Well, let's hit the springs after lunch, then."

Papi cheered. "Yay! Papi's already done, all I need to do is eat dessert!" Without preamble, she took the concentrated mass of wasabi she had gathered from several plates of sushi and shoved it in her mouth with a smile.

"Oh no." The author whispered to himself, as Miia and Rachnee watched in a mix amusement and sympathy as the Harpy's smiling face went white, then flushed fire-alarm red as smoke began to seep out of her ears. With a cry of pain, Papi tilted her head back and belched a stream of green flames at ceiling, lighting the roof of the establishment on fire.

That didn't actually happen, though Saul it almost did. Rachnee seized the red-faced Papi's arm and started dragging her outside as she made choking whimpers. "Honey, I saw a hose outside, I'm going to go cool her off." The Arachne called over her shoulder, pushing the Harpy out of the restaurant.

 _She really does act like an older sister sometimes._ Saul thought with a small smile, before turning back to his dish. He noticed that Miia hadn't eaten as much as she usually did, and was picking at her sushi with a sad look on her face. "What's up, Miia? You look unhappy."

She started, quickly schooling her face into a smile. "Nothing's wrong, Darling!" She denied quickly.

Saul gave her a flat stare, and slowly arched an eyebrow. "Uh-huh." He said slowly, clearly not believing her.

"Really, Darling!"

Still staring at her increasingly uneasy expression, he replied with a blank, "...Right."

Her smile wavered for a few seconds before fading entirely, slumping over her plate despondently. "It's just...I wanted to go on a date with just you, Darling." She finally admitted in a low tone. "You spend so much time with Rachnee...and even here you go off with that Snow Woman…"

Sighing, the author took a sip of his tea. "Miia, you're overthinking things." He said bluntly. "If you want to go do something with just the two of us, all you have to do is ask. Unless I have something important to do or previous engagements, I won't say no. And even if I do, I'll have a good reason and try to find a better day."

She looked up at him with shining amber eyes. "Really, Darling?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded. "Yup. You don't have to be sneaky or anything, just ask, okay? I'm not a kid who'll scream in fear about cooties or anything, I am an adult." Saul made eye contact with a waitress and gestured for her to come over. "Can I get a box to go and the check, please?"

Her eyes locked on the Lamia, the waitress nodded slowly and backed away, stacking the plates in a tub after counting them.

"I just have to ask?" Miia reiterated carefully, a glint in her eyes.

"Yes."

One of her slim arms wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him to her as she pressed up against him, her hand gently pulling his chin around to face her. Miia's eyes were half-lidded and dark, her voice low. "Then...can you kiss me, Darling?" Her long, thin tongue slid out of her mouth to wet her plump pink lips.

Swallowing nervously, Saul shakily nodded. "Of course...Miia. Since you asked." His voice stuttered and he leaned in closer, causing her eyes to slide closed, her lips puckered.

His lips met her forehead, causing Miia to snap out of it, her eyes wide and a blush on her cheeks, both from surprise and embarrassment. "D-darling?"

Saul smiled and winked, "You didn't say where, did you? And you weren't going to ask me to do anything illegal, right?" He slipped out of her loose arms and went to register, leaving Miia behind with shock written on her features.

Coming back to the still Lamia, the author offered her his hand. "I do like you, Miia, and in any other case I would have one problem kissing you...but with things how they are, the most I can do is give hugs and platonic kisses."

Taking his hand, they walked from the restaurant in silence. "Rachnee is that one problem, isn't she?" Miia asked quietly.

Sighing, Saul nodded. "Yes." He admitted easily.

They stepped out onto the sidewalk, spotting their wayward companions instantly. Rachnee was standing near a park bench, carefully patting a face-down Papi on the back, her head hanging off the side as she heaved.

"Darling?" The Lamia asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I know that...you and Rachnee are close, but...if-if things change, the law changes...would you give me a chance? To win your heart?" The words spilled from her mouth in a mix of a stutter and a jumble, though the message was clear.

Sual sighed and gripped Miia's hand tightly. "No one's heart is not a prize to be won, Miia, and I doubt the laws will change anytime soon. But, if they do, I would be happy if you allowed me the chance to prove that I could be a good partner." He leaned in and gently kissed her cheek.

Blushing fiercely, Miia turned away with a hidden smile. Rachnee watched the proceedings with a carefully blank face halfway hidden behind her lavender hair, though her heart lurched just a little. "Papi hurled." She announced simply, a smile twitching as the mood plummeted and Saul detached from the Lamia to kneel next to the bench, gently running a hand over Papi's back.

The cobalt Harpy moaned tiredly in response, and the human carefully picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "Alright, let's get back to the Onsen. I'll put her down for a nap and we can go into the springs." He said quietly as Papi snuggled into his chest.

"Should we get Mrs. Junko to watch her?" Miia asked, slightly envious of the Harpy being carried bridal-style. "In case she throws up again?"

"Nah, Harpies recover from sickness really fast, and since she just ate too much spicy stuff, she'll be fine after a solid thirty or forty minutes of sleep." Saul explained as they walked. "Papi will probably be hungry when she wakes up."

They walked through the small town, getting strange looks from the almost entirely-human populace for both the Extraspecies girls around Saul, but also for the unconscious girl the human was carrying.

They made it back to the resort without incident, and while Rachnee and Miia went to change, Saul went up to their room and tucked Papi into bed. As he drew the blanket up, she shifted and grasped his shirt with a small thumb, her blue eyes fluttering open. "Hubby?" She asked distantly.

"Easy, Papi. Just get some rest, okay?" He comforted her, patting her wing.

"Hubby...Papi's sorry. She didn't know the mint frosting would be so spicy…" She apologized tiredly.

Saul chuckled quietly. "That was wasabi, Papi, not frosting. It's Japanese Horseradish."

"Oh." The small girl's lower lip trembled, water gathering at the corner of her eyes. "Papi's sorry, Hubby...I'm not the smartest. I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey," He murmured, wiping the moisture away. "It's alright, Papi, there's nothing wrong with being you. Besides, I did the same thing with wasabi, once. Only once." _And I was ten...and I didn't throw up._

"Really?" Papi asked beatifically.

Saul nodded slowly, running his fingers through her hair. "Yup. I thought it was frosting too, and put some on a piece of chocolate cake. Thankfully, I tried to wasabi first, but it did put me off of cake for a long time."

Papi giggled tiredly. "Silly husband...cake already has frosting on it…" Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Pressing a small kiss to her forehead, Saul left the room and headed for the springs. The biggest part of the finished section consisted of a few natural hotsprings in a wide open room, with regular baths around the room at various temperatures that could be adjusted if one desired.

Saul found Miia and Rachnee already in one of the natural springs, the Lamia stretching languidly in the hot water while the Arachne appeared to be refraining from jumping out. He slipped into the water took a seat on the bench next to the girls, sighing in relief at the feeling of the hot water working into his muscles. "How's the water, ladies?"

Miia cuddled up to his side, her eyes closed in relaxation. "It's so nice~, Darling." She replied with a low hum, almost like a purr.

Rachne gulped, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's hot." She said shortly, shifting in the water.

"Don't like springs, Rachnee?" Saul asked curiously.

"Heat's what I don't like," She muttered uncomfortably, her face growing red.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Miia moaned. "The heat is _marvelous._ "

She leaned heavily on Saul's shoulder, almost falling asleep, the only thing keeping her from melting into a pile of relaxed goo being the fact that she wasn't made out of goo.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Rachnee's skin getting progressively redder, before after awhile, she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it!" She cried, struggling to the side that Miia and Saul sat on, crawling over the Lamia and the human to get out. Having exited the spring, she scuttled out of the room, breathing heavily.

Miia was pulled from her stupor by the sudden struggle, clutching Saul to her chest as the Rachne left, feeling a little different for some reason. "Are you alright, Darling?" She asked, looking down, then shrieking.

Apparently, one of Rachnee's legs had snagged on Miia's bikini top and pulled it off, so when the Lamia grabbed Saul, she shoved his face into her naked breasts, and he was staring at one of her bare nipples as it threatened to poke him in the eye.

Miia yelled in embarrassment and dropped the human, slithering from the room as fast as she could, leaving Saul alone and somewhat aroused.

Coughing, the author shook the image of Miia's ample chest out of his mind, sighing. _Well, there's always tomorrow, I guess._ Sitting back, he blew out a dismayed breath.

A soft bubbling noise reached his ear, and glancing over at a nearby bath, one that was cooler, he noticed something poking out of the water. Unsure of what it was, Saul climbed out of the spring and stepped over, examining the thing, finding it to be a straw. Slightly confused, he reached out and tapped the tube.

Yukio sat up, sending a wave of water across the pool, coughing lightly. Her wide blue eyes met Saul's, and her slightly panicked visage melded back to her normal placid expression. Coughing lightly, she spoke. "Saul, I didn't see you there."

He smirked in amusement. "Yeah, kind of hard to see someone while hiding underwater."

Yukio flushed lightly. "Yes, well...I was practicing."

"Practicing hiding from Saoru?" Saul asked knowingly.

She clammed up, her cheeks lighting up, before she blew out a sigh. "Yes, yes I was." Sitting against the side, Yukio leaned her head on the floor. "Mr. Saoru is kind and considerate...but he is _too_ considerate. He won't leave me alone for a second, always hovering around me, asking if I need anything or if the temperature's too high…"

Saul arched an eyebrow at her, getting a confused look. "What?"

"Nothing, that just the most I've heard you say at once." He replied, slipping into the water next to her. "If it's bothering you, why not say something about it?"

She shrugged helplessly. "He's really sensitive. I almost made him cry at breakfast, what would telling him to go away would do?" Yukio asked rhetorically. "He treats me like a little glass figurine, always needing to be protected and carefully watched so it doesn't break from the slightest touch."

Saul could hear the annoyance in her voice, and see the way she tensed up. "You're here to experience our culture, you know, if something is bothering you, don't be afraid to say something."

Yukio sighed again, nodding slowly. "I know, but his makes me think of a puppy...A little annoying one."

"Hey," Saul laid a hand on her shoulder. "You look tense, Yukio. How about I help you relax?"

She flushed lightly. "How?"

He shrugged. "Let me return the favor for this morning. I'll give you a massage."

Biting her lips, the Snow Woman glanced away, before nodding. "Okay."

Sliding out of the tub, she sat on the edge while Saul sat behind her, twitching as his warm hands made contact with her cool skin.

She tensed up at first, but after a few minutes of him gently working his thumbs into her neck, Yukio started relaxing, allowing a pleased groan to slip through her lips. Carefully, Saul moved down to her shoulders, using all of his fingers to identify then loosen the knots he found in her muscles, applying pressure when needed.

Yukio moaned quietly as his fingers moved to her spine, arching her back as a particularly tense spot was massaged away.

All too soon, Saul finished. "That's as far as I can go from here. Did it help at all?" He asked carefully.

Yukio nodded silently, already missing the feeling of his hands on her skin.

"Alright, well, I'm not opposed to helping you again, if you want." He said gently, patting her shoulder. "As I said, if you need someone to talk to or if you want another massage, just come ask, okay?"

"I will, thank you, Saul." She thanked him as he stood up and made to leave, giving her a small smile as he stepped out.

…

After dinner, Saul was preparing for bed when he became aware of someone watching him. Turning around, he jumped a little as he came face-to-face with Rachnee, her visage serious. "Hey, Rachnee. Ready for bed?"

Instead of answering, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, pushing him onto the bed while laying the top half of her body on top of his.

"Whoa, Rachnee, what's-" He was cut off as her lips crashed against his, his eyes going wide.

Rachnee ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him, tightly clutching him to her body. Slowly, his arms slipped up and embraced her, his lips moving against her as he responded. Moaning lightly, she slipped her tongue into his mouth to embrace his, her lavender hair hanging around them like a curtain.

Separating, Rachnee licked her lips with a satisfied smile. Her lips quirked at the surprised look on the normally unflappable Saul's face. With an armored finger, she gently closed his mouth. "I've wanted to do that for a long time, Honey." She whispered. "I don't care if it's illegal, or if I get deported…I think you know why, Honey."

Saul nodded slowly. "Yeah...I can guess so."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking. "'You guess so'? Well, let me make sure you know for certain, Honey." Rachnee closed the distance and tenderly kissed him, holding him close.

…

…

…

 **A/N: And there you go, chapter six of The Life With Monster Girls. You saw a little bit of Saul's training, some more bonding between him and Yukio, some bonding with Miia and Papi and then Rachnee breaking the law to make out.**

 **So, for Saul's training, let me make this as clear as possible: He learned how to escaped traps and being tied up, how to be more sneaky, and something else I'm keeping hidden for now, but he's not a master ninja. He's not even an actual ninja, he just has some training.**

 **I like to think that Papi switches between points-of-view when talking about herself because she's such a bird-brain that she forgets which one she should use.**

 **Also, almost all of the facts about myself are true, including the wasabi thing. I was ten, and it did put me off chocolate cake for awhile, as well as green stuff. Yeah, laugh, but I bet you did the same thing. Assface.**

 **Anyway, that's all I got for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and next is the end of this little arc.**

 **Why not review if you liked it, and even if you didn't, leave a review? Couldn't hurt, you know.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Something that annoys me is when people leave reviews for one chapter of a multi-chapter story, asking questions that could be easily answered by, I don't know,** _ **reading the rest of the story?**_ **I'm not going to reply to a review asking questions about chapter three of Hero, I am Not when the answer is in the rest of the damn story. All it really does is waste time.**

 **So stop it.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	7. Last Day at the Onsen

As had become his usual since Rachnee had come to live with him, Saul awoke to find himself in the warm, possessive clutches of the Arachne, her lavender hair brushing his nose, her cheek pushing against the side of his neck. He could feel the warm bursts of her sleeping breath over the skin of his throat, and it made him shiver.

The events of the previous night played before his eyes, and he flushed quietly at the remembrance of Rachnee's lips against his. Sighing to himself, Saul stroked Rachnee's hair. _I really don't want to see the girls -and myself- get deported…but at the same time, I can't really bring myself to care now that Rachnee and I have actually kissed._

Shifting to look down at her sleeping face, Saul gently rubbed her cheek, earning soft grumble from the woman and a sleepy smile. He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to her forehead. _Well, there's something to be said for getting all the sexual tension between two people out in the open. Well, most of it, anyway._ He mused as Rachnee snorted lightly, shifting and beginning to wake up. "Morning, Rachnee."

"Mmmm." She mumbled, rubbing her face against his skin. "Morning, Honey. You slept as well as I did, right?"

"I'd say so, yeah." He agreed with a small smile. "You know this is something we will have to keep on the down-low, right?"

Rachnee sat up, shaking the sleep from her eyes. "Of course…" She yawned widely, baring her sharp teeth. "Honey. I don't mind sneaking around, you know. We'll just have to be sneaky."

She pressed her hand to his chest as he tried to sit up and pushed him back down, hovering over him with her lips curved in a sultry smile. "Really, really…" Her lips came closer to his, her breath becoming shallow. "Snea-"

The door slammed open, loudly bouncing off of the wall as Miia stormed in, her finger out and pointing at them. "Hah!" The Lamia crowed triumphantly. "I knew it!"

Surprised, Rachnee sat up quickly, unintentionally shifting forward and pinning Saul to the bed by sitting on his stomach, putting a lot of her weight on his diaphragm. "Miia!" She shouted in surprise and a little anger, her cheeks turning red. "What the hell are you doing? Didn't your mom teach you to knock first?!"

"I knew it!" Miia repeated, "I knew you were doing something with Darling! Always sneaking off when you think I've fallen asleep to go into his room! And now I've caught you red-handed!"

Unaware that her host was slowly turning red, Rachnee crossed her arms and glared at her fellow homestay. "Caught me doing what, Snakey? Having a conversation with my host?" Her voice was tinged with anger, trying to hide the fact that she was worried Miia had caught them doing something deportation-worthy.

"Well, given that you're currently _riding_ Darling, I'd say you were having _more_ than a conversation!" Miia shot back, baring her fangs.

"Riding…?" Rachnee asked herself, before looking down as Saul quickly tapped on her stomach, his face beginning to go purple. "Oh! Sorry Honey!"

Saul sat up and took a deep breath, the color fading from his face. "'S'okay," he rasped breathlessly. "Miia, we weren't doing anything but talking, and she was certainly not riding me. Also, we are guests in this establishment, please don't damage their property."

Deny and misdirect, Politicking 101.

Miia looked sheepish, blushing in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry." She apologized, peeking at them from under crimson bangs. "Were you really just talking?"

"Yes, Miia, really." He assured her. "Now, can you ladies please vacate the room? I need to get dressed for the day."

Neither made to leave, simply staying where they were and staring at him. "You said we could peek all we want, Honey." Rachnee reminded him, smirking.

He blinked at them, as if to say, 'Really?' before rolling his eyes, grabbing his clothes and walking into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"No fair!" Miia whined, throwing her arms in the air.

Saul leaned back against the door, waiting until the bedroom was empty to sink to the floor, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over him. "It's not going to end up like last time," He swore to himself, pulling his wallet out and taking a picture from it. In the picture, a younger image of himself sat on a wooden chair in a restaurant, a woman standing behind him with her arms around his neck and her chin resting on his head, both smiling widely and holding hands.

" _Why are you leaving!? I thought…I thought you said you loved me!"_

" _I do, it's just…what we have…it can't go on."_

" _ **Why**_ _? Did I do something? Is it work? I can take time off! Or…did you meet someone? Is it someone else!?"_

" _It's not any of those."_

" _Then_ why _? We can work through this, whatever it is! You're the one who said you wouldn't give up on us."_

" _. . .I lied. I didn't know it, but I did. And I'm sorry about that, I really am."_

" _Don't go. Please. Just…just close the door and put your stuff down and we can talk. Just don't leave me."_

" _. . .I'm sorry."_

 _It won't end like that._ Saul swore, taking a deep, bracing breath and stowing the picture away.

…

After taking a refreshing shower and dressing in clean clothes, Saul descended the stairs to find most everyone else sitting at the table, eating breakfast. "Morning." He greeted them cheerfully, taking a place between Yukio and Rachnee. "Thank you for the meal."

"Good morning, Mr. Dewitt." Junko replied with a motherly smile. "We heard a bit of commotion upstairs. Is everything alright?"

"Just a minor misunderstanding, that's all." He said easily. "I'm sorry if it bothered you at all."

The mom of the house waved it off. "Oh, no bother. What are you going to do today?"

Saul thought for a second. "Well, I'd like to take a walk at some point, maybe have a picnic and definitely enjoy the hotsprings some more. Tomorrow, though, we're going home."

"We are?" Rachnee asked in surprise, as did Miia and Papi.

He nodded firmly. "Yes, we are. While this has been a very enjoyable vacation, I do have responsibilities to take care of back home."

"I see." Kaoru murmured, stroking his chin. "I can understand that."

"Aww." Papi whined despondently, her head falling onto the wooden table. "I like this place! It has so many birdbaths Papi can swim in!"

"We can visit again Papi, don't worry." Saul reassured, reaching across the table to pat the Harpy on the back.

At his side, Yukio too was feeling unhappy, her lips downturning lightly and her shoulders slumping a little, her blank blue eyes falling to the table as she fiddled with her chopsticks. Picking fruitlessly at her plate, her mood fell further as the man next to her described his plans to the girls living with him. And even though it mainly consisted of 'writing, playing some games and showing them around town', Yukio found herself growing jealous.

After finishing his breakfast, Saul turned to the Yuki-Onna next to him and tapped her shoulder. "Hey, Yukio. Will you have time later for one more therapy session? I feel perfectly fine, but I want to be careful and you've helped me a lot."

"Of course." She answered blandly, an invisible smile on her lips. "Would like to do that right now?"

He shook his head slowly. "Not right now, I feel like talking a walk and getting some fresh air-by myself." He clarified, giving the girls a stern look over his glasses. "In fact, I think I'll get to that right now. Thanks for breakfast."

The last part was directed at their hosts, and Saul stood from the table and left, filling a water bottle and putting on his shoes. The others split up soon after, the girls heading off to do their own thing; Rachnee to read, Miia to do the same or hit the hot springs and Papi to take a bath.

After about ten minutes, Saoru came into the kitchen where his parents were cleaning up after breakfast, panicking a little. "Er-have you seen Ms. Yukio around?" He asked nervously, playing with the hem of his kimono.

"Have you knocked on her door?" Kaoru asked, wiping down a plate.

"I just did!" His son replied, almost panicking. "But she didn't answer!"

"Well, she just might want some time to herself." Junko replied with a shrug, dunking a pair of glasses into the soapy water. "Let her be, son. You spend too much time fluttering around her as it is, you might make her nervous. She's still acclimatizing."

Sighing sadly, Saoru nodded and left, drooping in dismay.

"That boy, I swear."

"He'll grow out of it eventually, honey. I did."

…

Saul took a deep breath, sighing in contentment as he lazily walked along a footpath through the trees, the water bottle hanging from one of his wrists. _The air is so clean here._ He marveled to himself. _Crisp and fresh. That's not to say the air around my house is bad, but it definitely has a city smell to it._

There were clouds in the air once again, as there had been for the past week, but it wasn't too cold. Hearing a light crunch of grass being stepped on and feeling his neck prickle as it did whenever he was being watched, Saul stopped and looked into the trees on his left, his eyebrow rising in surprise upon spotting a familiar form between the trunks. "Yukio?"

The cold woman stopped, her eyes widening briefly in surprise, before she approached him. "Hello. When you said you were taking a walk, it sounded enjoyable to me. I know you said you wanted to walk alone, but I hope I'm not intruding." Her voice, while still bland, sounded hopeful.

"Sure, I don't mind." He replied with short shrug and a friendly smile. "I just wanted to get away from the girls for a little while. I enjoy being around them, but they are a handful."

"I can see that." Yukio said thoughtfully, nodding slightly in agreement.

They walked together in peaceful silence, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and the company.

After a few minutes, Yukio decided to speak up and ask a question that had been on her mind for a while. "I don't mean to intrude," She prefaced her statement carefully. "but I recall Rachnera mentioning something about you being a ninja in passing. Is that true?"

Saul quietly snorted and laughed. "In a way, yes." He said with a shrug. "But also no. See, on my grandma's side of the family, I'm descended from a clan of Ninja who were rather famous in their circles. I inherited some of my great-grandma's belongings, one of which was a diary. It told me their location and after I moved here, I wanted to be closer to my ancestors and be a ninja, so I found them."

He stopped and took a drink from his bottle, clearing his throat. "Sorry. Anyway, they were willing to train me in their arts, if I would give up my life and name and become a full-fledged member of their clan. While I thought being a ninja would be pretty sweet, I didn't want to lose my name, so I declined. Apparently, one of my ancestors had done the clan head's grandfather a great service, so instead of killing me, he offered me a choice: Spend six months learning the Ninja Arts and if I wanted to join then, I could, or leave and swear to keep their location a secret."

Yukio gazed at him with interest in her blank blue eyes. "Since you are currently here, am I right to assume you went with the second option?"

"Actually, I went with the first." He admitted easily. "I met some very nice people while I was there, and what they taught me has come in handy several times in my life, their lifestyle just wasn't for me. In actuality, I couldn't really call myself a ninja. I didn't become part of the clan or have a rank, but I like to say I am because it makes me seem mysterious." He turned to her with a small smile, his blue eyes twinkling with humor. "You won't tell the girls, will you? Let's just keep it our little secret."

A sense of warmth filled Yukio's chest at the trust being shown to her. Even if it was small, it was something he hadn't shared with the women living with him. Smiling slightly, she nodded in agreement.

"You know, you have a really cute smile." He said honestly.

Taken by surprise, Yukio slipped in a patch of mud on the hill they were ascending and nearly fell, had Saul not quickly reached out and snagged her arm, pulling her into him and away from danger. She found herself blinking in surprise, her cheek resting against his chest, his heartbeat drumming comfortingly in her ear, a sense of overwhelming warmth wrapping around her like blanket. Safe, but not stifling.

"Careful there." Saul said, gently setting her down on a the dry path, and Yukio found herself frowning at the lack of comfort. "You okay?"

While it had been funny (for a split-second) to see the placid Yuki-Onna's eyes go wide in surprise, he had reflexively grabbed her before she could hit the ground. It wouldn't do for their peaceful walk to be ruined by an injury, or at the very least, messy clothes. It was a nice kimono, after all.

"I am fine, thank you." She replied blithely, bending slightly to brush some dust from the hem of her clothes. Hesitantly, Yukio glanced at him, flexing her pale fingers. "If it's not too untoward, would you mind holding my hand?" Eyes widening at how that could sound, she hurriedly added, "In case I accidentally slip again."

"Yeah, sure." He held his hand out to her, silently enjoying the way her cold, pale skin felt against his.

On her part, Yukio enjoyed the way his large, warm hand softly encapsulated hers. Her mind falling back to what they were discussing before her unexpected slip. "You are very honest." She stated, in a way that could either be positive or negative.

"I am like a hammer and a chisel." He said proudly, smiling at the confused look she gave him. "Blunt, and to the point."

She giggled lightly at the bad pun, shaking her head, her long pale tresses shaking. "That was not very good." Yukio replied blandly, her lips curling in spite of herself.

"I know." Saul replied with a shrug. "It might not be polite most of the time, but I don't see the point in not speaking my mind. If I have something to say, I say it. It does make me come across as kind of an ass at times, but I honestly don't care."

"Hmm." Humming in through, they fell silent and continued walking, eventually following the path to it's end: the top of the hill, overlooking the small town sprawling out below them.

Heaving a sigh, Saul shook his water bottle and grimaced in distaste. "Warm." He muttered to himself, before shrugging and opening his mouth to take a drink anyway. He stopped when Yukio tapped his arm, holding her hand out. Lifting an eyebrow in confusion, he handed it to her.

Yukio closed her eyes and concentrated for a second, before handing it back. Smiling in amusement, Saul took a deep draught of now ice-cold water. "Thanks."

Nodding, Yukio simply stepped a little closer to the human and looked out over the town, enjoying the warmth and atmosphere of the setting.

…

A few hours later, Saul was walking out of the onsen again; this time with Rachnee, Miia and Papi in tow. On one arm, he was carrying a large basket, weighed down with plenty of varied foods for each of them. Miia hefted the cooler while Papi carried the blankets in her arms.

They walked quickly through the town, passing the shops and restaurants and heading into the wide open field next to the lake, where they settled in the middle, spreading the blanket and setting the food containers down. Once her load was off, the Harpy immediately took to the air, whooping cheerfully and doing loops.

Sitting down, Saul made himself a turkey sandwich and grabbed a coke, watching Papi soar through the air. "Sometimes, I envy how much energy she has." He muttered to the girls next to him, sipping his drink.

"Well, I'm glad you aren't that energetic," Rachnee said with a smirk. "Honey being all jumped up and bouncing off the walls? I think I'd tie you up a lot more."

"More than you try to, anyway." He replied dryly, giving her a flat look over his drink.

She shrugged unrepentantly and stuffed an onigiri in her mouth, winking three of her eyes at him. Saul called out, "Papi!" And as she swooped down over them, he tossed a chunk of turkey into the air, which she skillfully caught with her mouth.

Miia eyed the pile of cooked dead bird and Papi munching on a piece of it with an iffy look. "Isn't that like cannibalism?" She asked out loud, mostly to herself.

Saul glanced over at the Lamia, who was chewing on a burrito. "Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?" He asked teasingly.

Miia blushed in embarrassment. "Well, yeah, but…still."

Smirking at her red face, he shook his head. "Right." Sighing as he flopped down on the blanket, Saul looked up at the overcast but still sunny sky. "There are a couple of places like this where we live." He commented, crossing his arms behind his head. "I should show you them when we get back."

"That sounds nice, Honey." Rachnee replied quietly, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

Miia hummed in agreement, before looking up from her food, her face hesitant. "Hey, Darling…"

"Hm?"

"When we get back, can we go on a date?" She asked carefully. "Just me and you."

Rachnee looked up in surprise before throwing a narrow glare at the Lamia, her eyes switching to Saul in question. The human thought for a second, before nodding. "Sure."

Miia cheered happily, throwing her arms in the air in excitement and then diving on her host in glee. "Yay! A date with Darling!" Her arms were tight around his neck, her position on top of him pushing his face into her impressive bust, her long crimson tail wrapping around his lower body. This was not a position conducive to relaxation…or breathing.

Rolling her eyes and sighing, Rachnee lightly whipped Miia in the back of the head with a length of thread. "You're suffocating Honey, Snakey." She muttered, before leaning over and stealing her rice.

Miia shot her a dark glare, rubbing the back of her head, before looking down at the irritated glare Saul was giving her, her dive having spilled his coke all over him. And her. "Sorry Darling." She apologized sheepishly, then gasping in dismay at the stain on her skirt. "My clothes!"

Saul sat up and pulled his shirt off, reaching into the basket to retrieve another, identical item of clothing. "You've got no one to blame for that but yourself." He said shortly, pulling the collar over his head. "You're lucky I used another shirt to pad the eggs."

About a second after he had pulled the shirt on and salvaged what he could of his drink (less than half the bottle), a blue blur slammed into his chest and sent him rolling across the field. Papi nuzzled his chest, wrapping her wide blue wings around him and smiling happily. "I wanna hug too!"

Thankfully, she hadn't hit him at full speed, which probably would've broken a few ribs. As it was, Saul was just dazed and a little winded. "Ow." He whispered, spitting grass. Despite the suddenness of the gesture, he reached up and ran his fingers through Papi's soft cobalt hair. "Maybe don't fly into me next time?"

"Okay!"

Once he got his breath back, Saul sat up. "You were flying around for a good while, Papi. Are you hungry?"

"Yup!" She said with a rapid nod, her stomach grumbling in agreement.

"Well, there's plenty of food in the basket." Papi cheered and flapped off of his lap, landing on the blanket and digging in. Saul pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head to get rid of the dirt his unexpected trip had gotten on him. He found himself stumbling to the side as something pulled on his wrist. Looking down, he found a thin loop of thread around his wrist, which was being pulled on by Rachnee.

He stumbled into her arms, his cheek pressed against her chest. "Okay, not that I mind, but why did you do that?" He asked in a slightly muffled tone.

She shrugged, her long fingers playing with his hair. "Miia and Papi did it, I didn't want to be left out." She explained playfully, making sure to press his face close to her breasts.

…

Hours after their picnic, Saul found himself in one of the cooler sections of the onsen, sitting across from Yukio, both wearing bathing suits. The Yuki-Onna gestured at the thick, fluffy towel on the floor between them, waiting for the human to lay himself down before propping his head up between her thighs and gently probing the back of his head with her fingers. "How does that feel?" She asked quietly.

Saul groaned comfortably. "Just fine. No pain at all." He sighed as her cool digits danced lightly over the skin of his back, tenderly poking and massaging his muscles. "You are really good at this."

"I was studying massage before the Extraspecies Bill." She told him, trying to ignore the way his warm breath washed over her knees. "I was unsure about what I would do after applying for a homestay, but I'm glad I was allowed to practice."

"You could definitely make a career out of this." He muttered at the floor, relaxing to point of near unconsciousness.

"Thank you." Yukio whispered, a small smile subconsciously curling her lips. Once she felt his breathing deepen and she was sure he was asleep, she allowed a soft, despondent sigh to leave her lips. "I don't want you to leave."

Having said her piece, she continued her massage on the sleeping man, gently shaking him awake when she was done. "Hmh?" He grumbled sleepily, looking around the room with bleary eyes. "Oh, right."

As he stretched his relaxed muscles, Yukio silently gathered her courage and spoke. "Could you return the favor? My back is a little sore from slipping."

Not opening his eyes as he rolled his neck, Saul agreed. "Of course, Yukio. Just get situated and I'll get to you in a second."

Nodding to herself, Yukio stood from her kneeling position and faced away from Saul, carefully pulling the shoulder straps of her bathing suit away and letting them fall, peeling off of her body and pooling around her feet. She lay down on the towel and waited.

Saul finished stretching and turned around, getting an eyeful of Yukio's delicate, elegant back, her full, well-rounded rear end and her long, smooth legs, all covered by nearly flawless pale skin. His breath caught in his throat as the question, 'You _do_ know you're naked, right?' nearly left his lips, but Yukio was a very deliberate person. She _knew_ she was naked.

Shrugging, Saul rubbed his hands together and ran his palms over her back, enjoying the smooth, cool feel of her skin, gently digging his fingers into the knots he found. Unlike the last time he had given her a massage, Yukio was vocal about her enjoyment, moaning and gasping in appreciation as he found tense spots and soothed them away. When he came down to the bottom of her spine, Saul paused.

 _I can't exactly go for it._ He surmised, shrugging to himself. _When in doubt, play it safe._

Carefully massaging the sides of her bottom, he moved on to her pale thighs, pausing as she gasped loudly when he prodded her flesh. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

"No!" Yukio quickly denied, her voice louder than before. "It felt good…really, really good."

"Ah." Saul mumbled, carefully moving his hands back, feeling blood rushing to his face…and flooding somewhere else. _Glad we're about to go in the water._

Her vocal enjoyment of his ministrations continued as he reached her feet, and she sighed unhappily when his warm hands left. "There you go," He murmured, trying not to sound harried…or aroused.

Yukio waited until she heard the splash of a body entering the nearby water before standing up, finding Saul's back firmly turned towards her. She slipped her suit back on and carefully entered the lukewarm water. She sat herself on the underwater bench and noticed how her patient had his eyes fixed on the water. Sighing, she spoke up quietly. "I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Mr. Dewitt."

He glanced at her, smiling comfortingly. "You didn't make me uncomfortable, Yukio, I…did." _And now I just admitted she gave an erection…this might get awkward._ "And call me Saul." _Right, because_ that'll _break the ice._

"Apologies, Saul." Yukio replied, before the full meaning behind his words hit her. She looked at him, noticing that his face was red with embarrassment and he wasn't looking in her general direction. "You made yourself uncomfortable?"

He sighed harshly. "Yukio, I am straight man and you are ridiculously beautiful. And you were just naked. This kind of thing happens…and I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. I should go." Saul made to stand, but was stopped when her cool hand firmly locked around his wrist, pulling him back down.

"You don't need to leave." She stated firmly. "It's not your fault, and that you find me attractive enough to…I should be thanking you…I think."

Saul shook his head. "I don't know what the proper response is in this kind of situation, so…you're welcome. I guess." There was an awkward silence. "Can we just forget that the past thirty seconds happened?"

"Agreed."

…

The next morning eventually rolled around as day are wont to do, the selfish pricks, which found the inhabitants of the small resort bidding goodbye to their first Extraspecies guests.

"Thank you for staying at our resort." Junko said with a bow, her family following suit.

Saul awkwardly bowed back, as did Miia and Rachnee. Papi simply waved one of her wings enthusiastically. "Thank you for allowing us to stay." He replied courteously, finding the position a little foreign. "I can say with certainty that we enjoyed our time visiting and we'll be back again."

"That's very kind. You wouldn't mind filling out these reviews, would you?" The matriarch said sweetly, holding out a handful of pamphlets.

Taking them, Saul nodded. "Of course. It was a pleasure to meet all of you." He walked past them, stopping at Yukio. "Especially you, Yukio. I want to thank you again for all you did for me, it really helped and I appreciate it."

She nodded in reply, fingering her sleeves with indecision before reaching out and catching Saul's sleeve, tugging him back as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened in surprise before quickly returning the gesture, one of his large, warm hands resting between her shoulder blades.

Saoru, his voice tinged with jealousy, quickly hissed, "Yukio! That's not proper at all!"

When they separated, Saul gave her a bemused look, before smiling warmly at her and patting her shoulder. "We'll see each other again," He said kindly. "We don't live that far away and we will visit, don't worry."

Yukio nodded silently, stepping back into line with her homestay. Saoru looked up at her with confusion as she bit her lip, her blank blue eyes meeting his expressive brown. Quietly, she allowed her hand to meet and entwine with his. It was about the same size as hers and warmer, and she gazed into his eyes, searching for something.

Saoru smiled up at her hopefully, only for Yukio to sigh and look away, her hand slipping from his grasp as she turned and strode quietly back into the house as a soft snowfall began to descend from the sky.

"Oh, it's snowing!" Junko said happily. "Odd for summer, but how nice!"

Papi whined as the big black van that they had ridden in before came into view. "Aww, not the black box again!" She grumbled. "It's so cramped, Papi can't spread her wings!"

"We can tie you to the roof if you want." Smith replied with a shrug.

She gasped in surprise. "Really?!"

"No, not really."

That was the last thing Yukio heard before the door closed behind her. Silently, she ascended the steps to her room, finding the onsen, once warm and inviting, to be empty and nearly lifeless. Sighing inaudibly, she entered her room and locked the door behind her, watching through the window as Saul and his homestays entered the car, waving to the family on the lawn. Her hands clenched into fists as the car pulled away, taking away the warm presence she had come to enjoy so much.

Looking around her room, Yukio found it to be cold, colder than she was. And lonely. With a sigh, she ungracefully flopped on her bed, her eyes landing the simple black cellphone her coordinator had gifted her with, 'for emergencies'.

Flexing her fingers, she stared at the innocuous device, deep in thought. Her concentration was interrupted by a timid knock on the door, obviously coming from Saoru, the young master with the very obvious crush on her. "Ms. Yukio?" He asked nervously through the door. "Are you alright?"

Perhaps, in another life, Saoru would've had what she wanted. Something that would've made her happy. But here and now…he was lacking. And the one she desired had left.

…Surely that qualified as an emergency?

"I am fine, young master." She lied through her teeth, scooping up the cell phone when she heard his timid footsteps padding away. Typing in the only number she knew, Yukio only had to wait through one ring before the line was picked up, and a bored, masculine voice answered.

" _Hello?"_

"Mr. Jones?" Yukio asked, feeling anxiety creeping up in her chest. "There's…something I need to talk to you about…"

…

Saul sighed as the van pulled onto a familiar street. _It'll be nice to be home,_ he thought happily. _I definitely missed the internet while at the onsen. I wonder if that update for Destiny came out yet?_

Papi had fallen asleep after about an hour, while Miia was reading a book in the back and Smith had gotten a call earlier, and then spent the rest of the trip texting furiously.

He smiled to himself as the pulled around to the drive, only for his jaw to drop upon catching sight of his home. With a strangled noise, he threw the door open and dashed out of the van, slowing to a stop after a few steps.

Smith followed him with a smirk, standing behind him with her hands planted on her hips. Her smirk grew into a grin as the girls gasped as well. "It's nice, isn't it?" She said triumphantly.

"Nice?!" Saul shouted in disbelief, whirling around to face her with an incredulous expression. "My place is a mansion! You added another friggin' house to my home!"

His house, which was quite large to begin with, had basically doubled in size. It was now the size of a small mansion.

"You know, most people would be happy to come back and find their home bigger than they left it." Smith replied sternly, looking at Saul over her sunglasses.

"Happy?!" He yelled, apparently unable to find the volume control on his voice. "I can't afford this! Half of my paychecks went to paying for the utilities when my house was 'house'-sized! Water alone would take all of my money, not to mention electricity!"

The girls stared at him in shock, having never seen him this hysterical before.

Saul groaned despondently, clutching his hands to his head. "Oh god," He moaned, falling to his knees, "I won't be able to take Miia out now, or Rachnee or Papi…or buy any more games or food…oh no…I'm going to have to write bestseller-bait."

"Bestseller-bait?" Rachnee asked herself, though Saul heard her.

"A touching, romantic novel about two people from different worlds desperately trying to connect and deal with their differences, guaranteed to sell and make millions and get a movie made and a legion of fangirls." He replied, his voice muffled by his hands. "My 'Twilight', basically…except well-written and believable. And actually good. With good dialogue, and actual romance. And actual characters you can sympathize with, who aren't creepy stalkers."

Miia frowned in thought. "Wait, if it's guaranteed to sell, why haven't you written it already?" She asked, validly.

"I prefer to do romance with action, not just romance." He replied, still clutching his head. "Action, I can do, but romance…I always make it happen too fast."

Smith shook her head. "We're not charging you for the added utilities or the extra appliances. We know what your bank account looks like; we wouldn't do something you couldn't pay for. We're the Government, not sadists." She ignored his muffled snort and mutter of 'Same thing.' with a shake of her ebony tresses. "Like it or not, you are in a unique situation. Most homestays have one Extraspecies, rarely two; or in your case, f-three. It's a situation that bears increased observation, tweaking and a little experimentation. In return for that, we'll cover the extra cost of utilities and food."

Saul looked up at her suspiciously. "The four of us fit in my house just fine. I could've fit two, maybe three more in comfortably, if I'm pushing it. Why make my house so big?" He asked.

Silence.

Smith coughed awkwardly. "Well…they say bigger is better." She said with a shrug, looking away. "Besides, if you fail the program somehow, the cost will fall to you. So don't screw up, okay?"

Her misdirection was noticed, but Saul put it aside for the moment to look back at his house. He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off the migraine building in his skull. "Girls, we are going to have to share chores."

…

The living room, kitchen and dining room had all been expanded to accommodate, at the most, sixteen people, with several added bedrooms, one of which was heavily insulated. His bathroom was also made larger, now resembling a pool, not to mention the _actual_ pool on the ground floor that had to be at least thirty-two meters deep.

Saul wondered how they had gotten clearance to dig that deep in the suburbs, but figured it was some government thing that would be waved away.

After looking over his new, much larger house, Saul flopped on the couch in front of the TV (which was also much larger to accommodate the size of the room) and groaned into his hands. The house, as it was originally, had already felt too big when he was living alone. He probably would not have bought it in the first place, if the sellers hadn't been so desperate to get out that they lowballed him severely.

As it were, the place felt _way_ too damn big, like _he_ had shrunk in size. He almost expected to feel the ground shake as a giant version of himself strode around, looking for the pen he dropped. And possibly get squished by a giant Miia hogging the couch.

Saul sat up grudgingly as the doorbell rang, trudging down the hall, which felt much longer. He sighed while twisting the doorknob, and pulled it open. "Hello, can I help you?" He greeted with little vigour.

"I certainly hope so." A cold feminine voice replied quietly. "It would be awkward for me to travel all the way back now, after leaving the way I did."

Saul looked up in surprise, coming face-to-face with Yukio. "Yukio?" He asked in surprise. She was no longer wearing a kimono like he had seen around the onsen, instead clad in a light blue skirt and tanktop, a wide-brimmed sun-hat resting on her head. Instead of the tabi and geta, she had on simple knee socks and tennis shoes, looking less like the regal ice princess she resembled and more like…a normal girl. Who played tennis, possibly. "What…what are you doing here?"

She smiled warmly at him, stepping through the door. "I decided that staying at an onsen for the foreseeable future wouldn't be healthy for me." Yukio replied, her blank blue eyes glittering. "So, I decided to go somewhere…a little less hot, and a lot more warm."

"Oh." Saul murmured to himself. "So…you want to stay here? With me?"

Yukio nodded silently, but enthusiastically. "Mhm."

"Well," He paused in thought, smiling warmly at the snow-woman. "Welcome home, Yukio. I hope you enjoy it here."

Her lips curled into a large (for her), warm smile, and she leaned forward, softly pressing her lips to his cheek. "I know I will." She whispered, her cool breath brushing over his ear. Stepping passed the frozen Saul, she looked around the expanded foyer. "This place is a lot bigger than I thought it would be."

Shaking his head, Saul muttered, "Tell me about it," smiling as he watched Yukio meander down the hall. Leaning against the wall, he let the agents bearing her clothes in.

" _Darling!"_ Miia shouted, her voice carrying through the house. " _I think that Snow Woman from the onsen is stalking you!"_

Saul let his head rest on the wall. "And my life was simple, once." He said to himself, unable to contain his smile. _But, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way._

" _Hello, my name is Yukio."_

" _I know who you are, we just met a week ago!"_

" _Hi Yuko, my name is Papi! Papi's a Harpy, is what Papi is!"_

…

….

….

…

 **A/N: If someone can't make fun of himself, he has no business making fun of others. Wish more people would subscribe to that.**

 **So, here's the latest peek into the life. With Monster Girls. It's been a long time coming, but I just haven't had the motivation to write more. For some reason, "Disturbed" really makes writing this easier, I don't know why. I was playing their three latest albums all day while I was writing.**

 **Kuro: I can vouch for that. I had to listen to "Radioactive" for a bit for the last chapter I did.**

 **So yeah, I also exposed Saul's ninja training, which a lot of people bitched about. Sometimes I really don't like you people. I try to be subtle and it just slides underneath your radar. It's annoying. The point I was trying to make with the ninja skills is that they were real-life skills that anyone could get with proper training. It's nothing insane or out of this world like Naruto, as I've said before. I'm already a sneaky fucker in real life, some training would just exacerbate those traits.**

 **And the house-turned-mansion: It's not being done frivolously. It's give and take, not just give and give for no reason because they're the government. Someone high up is really pushing their luck and having a laugh at Saul.**

 **And I know that there was the one homestay on a farm that had like, eight girls, but I am deliberately ignoring that, so ha.**

 **Also, appearance. One of the stranger things I've been criticised about is how I've made Saul too good-looking. Um…I haven't exactly described his features, you know. And he's based on me, and being honest, I'm ruggedly handsome at best and not ugly at worst, so if you think Saul (who is based on me and shares my features, including glasses) is too good-looking...well, thank you!**

 **And yes, he does wear glasses, just not all the time. Again, like me. For me, things get blurry about a foot away from my face, so I can walk around without them on. I just wear them more often because I like the way they make my face look.**

 **Kuro: Glasses tend to be a good look anyway.**

 **True that.**

 **Anyway, I hope the Yukio arc pleased you in execution and that you enjoyed what you saw this year. It is just passed midnight at time of writing, so Happy New Year! Hopefully this next one is less shitty then the last.**

 **So, that's the end. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, why not leave a review? Maybe you like it so much, you tell your friends to read it and they like it so much, they leave a review too? Maybe make a New Year's resolution to leave more reviews?**

 **Also, big thanks to Kurogane7, who edited the shit out of this chapter. I mean, you are on FF dot net right now, it's not that hard to go to his page and check out his work, right? So why not go do that?**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: None of you bastards played Destiny with me. You know what, FINE! I don't need you anyway, and I was playing Fallout 4 for the most part, so HA! Take that!**

 **Subsequently, expect a new chapter of Dare to Wander to hit soon.**

 **Also, Shadows of the Remnants is canceled, pending absorption into another RWBY fic, possibly a self-insert in the style of the Hero series. Possibly. I'm not starting anything new until I finish my other stories, including this one, but it's on the table.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	8. Two Coconut Halves Clapping

It was shaping up to be a pleasant summer day.

The cool morning air began to heat up as the sun climbed higher in the sky, shedding bright, warm beams through the small amount of clouds. Saul sighed to himself as he walked, a bag full of simple groceries swinging from one hand, and a half-full water bottle in the other. The tapping of his shoes seemed to be the only sound, even with the light hum of traffic far in the background and the chirping of birds.

As he strode along the sidewalk, he noticed a sign attached to a lamppost, reading 'Beware of Purse-Snatcher'. Why they didn't just increase patrols in that area instead of putting up a sign confused Saul, who shook his head and kept walking.

 _My morning started as many have before: staring at my computer screen with a mix shame and self-loathing burning in my chest, the time in the corner reading 6:42 as if to taunt me of the hour and a half I'd wasted doing nothing. The brightness of the screen, despite having it turned down to 'low', was just another reminder that I hadn't written a damn thing; with the exception of 'tits' and 'boobs' a couple of times to amuse myself, and that didn't have any lasting appeal._

 _I couldn't even play a game. I mean, there was nothing stopping me from turning on the Playstation and killing things in Destiny, but I was so irritated that I'd suck, which would only make me angry, and that wouldn't help anything._

 _So that was off the table._

 _I sighed and leaned back in my chair, rubbing my eyes with my hands. I needed some way to get my creative juices flowing…it was early in the morning, so it would be cool out, and I hadn't been near my favorite coffee shop in nearly a month, so I decided to go out on a morning jog._

 _I dressed in some shorts and a shirt, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge along with my keys, wallet and phone and left a note for the girls. Knowing Miia, if she woke to find me gone, she'd probably think I was kidnapped…again, and do something dumb like go out of the house without my supervision and get in trouble._

 _So I wrote a short, concise note and left it on the table in plain view._

 _Stepping out, I began my jog, letting my mind rest and concentrating on where I was going and the feel of my muscles working as I moved. By the time I reached my end point, the coffee shop, the sun had risen a little higher and I had worked up a good sweat. I sat on a bench outside of the shop for ten minutes, cooling off and drinking my water before going in. I hadn't had breakfast yet, and running around does make one hungry._

 _It was still pretty early, so the shop wasn't full of people. I only had to wait for one person to make their order before I could step up to the counter. Another person entered behind me, and a peek at the reflection in the shiny plastic menu let me know who it was._

" _Morning," I greeted the barista. "I'll take a cheddar bacon breakfast sandwich, a swiss and bacon breakfast sandwich, a large vanilla latte and a large mocha with two shots of espresso."_

 _After paying for it and walking to the counter, the person behind me followed quietly, trying to be stealthy. As the barista handed me the coffee, telling me the food would be out in a couple of minutes, the person behind me spoke up. "Are you waiting for someone, Honey?"_

" _Only you, Smith." I replied, turning to face her and holding out the mocha. "You like cheddar, right?"_

 _Smith quirked an eyebrow in surprise, taking the offered coffee with a pleased smile. "I do, thanks." To my surprise, she wasn't wearing her usual black suit and sunglasses; instead she was dressed in a simple blue tank top, a light sweater and jeans. Once again, I was struck by one fact: Smith is hot. She has that kind of body that's somewhat contradictory: with a lean, slender frame (narrow shoulders and waistline), with a large chest and hips that didn't come across as artificial. With her looks, Smith could've been a model and she damn well knows that. The fact that, instead of being a high-paid, well-regarded model, she chose to be (if her complaints carry any weight, and given how unhappy she sounds, they do) an under-paid, over-worked government agent speaks a lot about her character._

" _You're not in your suit?" I asked, taking a seat at a nearby table._

" _It's my day off." She replied with a simple shrug, sipping her coffee with a happy expression. "I'm glad I ran into you, though. There's something I need to talk to you about: the full moon."_

 _For a second, I was confused. "Why the full…" And then it hit me; that book I read on Extraspecies mating habits. "Oh."_

 _For some reason, the full moon sends every Extraspecies, man or woman, into a lustful frenzy so strong they forget their own strength in pursuit of carnal pleasure. It was said that the myth of werewolves might have started because of Kobolds, dog-human Liminals, going sex-crazy because of the moon and raping people to death. Thus the source of the howling._

" _Yup." Smith replied with an unfittingly chipper attitude. "And just because those girls will want to…indulge, doesn't mean the law isn't still in effect." She warned, peering seriously at me._

" _I know, Smith." She doesn't have to remind me every time we meet. I'm well aware of the law; besides, the girls might kill me by accident even if I_ did _give into temptation. Though that does make me wonder; the book advised cooling down Extraspecies who were affected by the full moon with ice. Would that mean Yukio, being an ice person, wouldn't be affected by it?_

 _After that, breakfast arrived and the conversation went to lighter topics._

Saul's route took him near a small green grocer. Struck with the sudden desire for carrot cake, he bought three dozen carrots, sitting inside the bag in his hand. Passing by a business woman, he stepped off the curb to cross the road when a loud clopping sound began to build, like someone was rapidly clicking two halves of a coconut together. That, however, was not something that regularly occurred, so Saul turned to look at the source of the clopping and arched an eyebrow in surprise.

Barreling down the street was a woman riding a horse. Directly at him. His eyes going wide, Saul skipped back out of the way, but not fast enough. The horse clipped his arm and sent him spinning to the ground, a little dazed and now somewhat irritable. Sitting up, he turned to the horse and the rider and opened his mouth…only to be struck by the realization that his first impression was wrong.

It was not a woman riding a horse; it was a woman who was _half_ horse. She had quite the long, equine body, with a bright blonde tail hanging from what was assumed to be a dress for a horse body, using enough fabric to make a small tent.

Speaking of tents, the human half of this woman bore possibly the largest set of breasts he had had ever seen…on someone shorter than seven feet. Tio still took the cake in that department. Her long blonde hair matched her tail and was drawn up into a ponytail, with a few long bangs framing her heart-shaped face. Her skin was a pleasant peach color, with icy blue eyes that were similar his own and horse ears. Her massive bust was constrained by a modest grey shirt, and what could politely be called a fucking long sword hung from her waist.

"Alas!" The centaur said in a very heavy posh English accent. "I have accidentally run into someone at a crossroads! It must be Fate!"

There was a definite capital 'F' in fate, Saul knew. Still, her actions had still endangered him, and her being attractive did not mean she could get away with it. "What the hell…?" He asked her incredulously. "You could've trampled me!"

Her icy blue eyes shifted to him in confusion. "But I did not, did I?" She replied with a tilt of her head. "There should be no problem."

"Why were you charging down a street, anyway?" Saul asked, looking up and down the street, not spotting anyone that looked like a Coordinator or a homestay.

"I, Centorea Shianus, am looking for my Noble Master!" She proudly proclaimed, unsheathing her sword and flourishing it, holding a noble pose. "For whom I shall serve with every fiber of my being!"

Saul snapped a picture of her on his phone, sending it to Smith. _Did you know about this?!_ He asked. "Uh-huh." He said out loud, giving her a weird look. "You know it isn't Medieval Times, right?"

Centorea sniffed, turning away from him with a huff. "Perhaps the fortunes as told to me by those manga was wrong." She muttered to herself. "Should I have been carrying toast in my mouth instead?"

His phone chimed. _She's allowed out without supervision. Her race likes looking for 'Noble Masters' to serve, instead of the regular method of homestays._

 _She nearly ran me over._ He sent back. "Manga are works of fiction. Not everything in them has a real-world equivalent, otherwise I would be shooting fireballs out of my mouth." Saul muttered, his phone chiming again.

 _She likes manga tropes._ Smith sent. _And is pretty old-fashioned._

He huffed quietly. _Anything useful you can tell me?_ "Are thou going to introduce thyself, or not?" The centaur asked him haughtily, crossing her arms under her bust. "So uncouth."

"Well excuse me if I don't want to be polite to the person who nearly ran me over." He shot back, giving her a narrow glare. "And my name is Saul. Saul Dewitt." His phone chimed. _Well, she's blonde, half-woman half-horse and her name is Centorea._ Smith replied.

Saul rolled his eyes, typing in and sending: _This is no time for horseplay!_

Centorea gave him a curious look, cupping her chin and gazing at him with narrowed blue eyes. "Saul Dewitt…" She murmured, as if tasting the name. "That is not Japanese."

"No, it isn't, thanks for pointing that out." He said, giving her a dry look. "I'm part Japanese, but I lived in America for most of my life." His phone chimed again. _I see what you did there. ;)_

"Oh." The centaur hummed. "Well, I appear to have wronged thee, Saul Dewitt, so allow me to apologize." She bowed at the waist, and he kept his eyes fixed on her hair and not her breasts.

Saul quickly typed a few keys before sending and pocketing his phone. _:D_. "I appreciate it, Ms. Shianus. It's not all your fault, though. I've just been irritated by my job this morning." He replied, sighing and taking a drink from his bottle.

"What is thine problem?" She asked curiously.

Saul opened his mouth to answer, when shrill scream of surprise and shock rang out behind him. Turning towards the noise, he paused as a man on a moped sped right at about him, cackling in glee and a purse tucked under his arm. Acting without really thinking, the author whipped his water bottle over his shoulder, hurling it at the thief as a large, soft hand grasped his shoulder and pulled him out of the way, into something large and warm.

Hard plastic bounced off of the thief's helmet, making the man curse and correct himself, narrowly avoiding spilling onto the concrete. He turned around and glared at the man responsible for hitting him, and Saul glared right back and gave him the finger.

As the moped sped off, the author huffed, before freezing as he realized just where he was. Most of the right side of his body, including part of his head, was ensconced by Centorea's body, which naturally included her prodigious chest.

Coughing quietly, Saul carefully stepped out of her still arms, glancing at her face and finding her frozen in surprise, her cheeks very red. She shook her head, clearing her throat and trying to smother her blush. "Ah!" She exclaimed, drawing her long sword and pointing it after the purse-snatcher. "We must catch that whoreson! Tis my duty as a knight to protect the citizens of this realm! Come!"

She made to dash off, but stopped when Saul cleared his throat. "And how exactly do you expect me to do that?" He asked with an arched eyebrow. "I can't run faster than a moped, and I don't have a car. That only really leaves one option."

Centorea looked down, her face turning red, one of her legs tapping on the ground. "I guess…thou could…ride…me…" She whispered to herself, rubbing her arm nervously.

He gave her a half-smile. "So soon? I don't think I'm emotionally ready for such a big step in our relationship."

Centorea gave him an incredulous look, causing him to grin. "That-that's not what-!" She protested hotly.

"I know." Saul interrupted, grinning. "I just wanted to break the ice." He hung the grocery bag on a sign and gave her back a confused look. Besides the admittedly nice, if long dress, there was no method for someone to mount her and didn't that sound dirty. "How am I supposed to—?"

He was cut off as Centorea reached down and snagged his arm, easily hauling him up behind her, setting him on her back. That solved one problem, but presented another. "How do I hold on?" Saul asked as the centaur took off down the road. Jumping from the sudden movement, he leaned forward and tightly wrapped his arms around her taut stomach, holding on for dear life as the wind rushed past his face.

 _This is actually pretty awesome._ Saul admitted to himself, enjoying the feel of the wind and the speed. _There's something extremely Freudian about having something really powerful between your legs, even for women._ The harsh, rapid clopping of her hooves against the concrete, the way he could feel her muscles coiling and releasing strongly; it made him feel like a knight…without the armor, sword or English heritage. _I should start saving up for a motorcycle._

In no time, the two had caught up with the purse snatcher. He had taken his eyes off the road and eased off the throttle to peer inside the stolen bag, checking what he had gotten. "Halt, thief!" Centorea cried. "Thy crimes shall not go unpunished!"

"Stop right there, criminal scum!" Saul shouted from her back, modulating his voice to sound English. "No one breaks the law on my watch!"

The man gave them a wildly confused look, probably wondering how two English people, one of them a centaur, had appeared in the middle of Japan to chase him. "Fuck you! You can't catch me!" He twisted the throttle, speeding up.

Centorea huffed angrily and leaned forward, keeping pace. As they raced down an empty stretch of highway, the thief twisted the handle and flung himself over the side of a hill, landing on top of a cargo truck before hitting the road. "Hah!" He barked mockingly, giving them the finger.

The centaur Saul was riding narrowed her eyes, looking at him over shoulder. "Hold on!" She warned him, before leaping from the top street. Following the thief's path, they landed on the roof of the truck, the metal denting under their weight, before Centorea bounced off, back on the purse-snatcher's trail.

Seeing them in his mirrors, the thief tried to speed up, looking up just as a small cargo car towing a pallet of large water containers passed in front of him. Yelping in shock, he quickly pulled on the handlebars, tilting the scooter up and jumping, plowing through containers.

Centorea followed behind him, smoothly drawing her sword and cleaving through the barrels in their path. And while it certainly looked cool, it also drenched both of them in a large amount of water. Saul cleared his eyes as they leveled with the thief, the centaur holding her sword to his neck. Not giving up, the thief yanked on the bars, slamming against her side, making her veer off.

Saul, drenched in water and unprepared for the action, slipped from her back, grabbing at anything to stop himself from falling off, grasping the grey fabric of her shirt, his weight pulling on it. Already strained from her bust, the buttons finally gave away, dropping Saul even farther. He clutched on to her side, managing to look up, finding her large breasts bouncing as she unconsciously kept pace with the scooter, frozen in a mix of shock and shame, the rider staring at her in surprise…both unaware of the danger they were heading towards.

"Look out!" He shouted, pointing at a stack of paint cans.

The thief crashed first, followed shortly by Centorea as Saul dropped, tucking and rolling, feeling paint cans bouncing off of him. Luckily, most were empty. Shaking the dizziness off, he pushed himself up, finding Centorea kneeling among the cans, clutching her shirt together and muttering angrily. A clatter made them look as the thief shakily stood, carrying her sword.

"You horse-bitch!" He grit out, gripping the heavy weapon with both hands. "I'll cut you into dogfood!"

Saul dashed forward, sliding in front of the thief while bending down, grabbing the handle of a half-empty paint can and swinging it up, clocking the purse-snatcher in the face. He staggered back and overbalanced from the weight of the sword, toppling on his back. As the thief struggled to get back up, the author rushed forward, bringing his arm back and forward, smashing the other man in the face again, knocking him out.

Nudging the unconscious man to make sure he'd stay down, Saul sighed, dropping the can and picking up Centorea's sword. He set the flat side on his shoulder and turned to the centaur, finding her looking at him with a mixture of awe and surprise. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, noticing the state of her top. "Sorry about that," He apologized, "I panicked and grabbed onto the first thing I touched." Luckily, or unluckily, depending on the view, at least he hadn't grabbed her hair.

"You…you defended me…" She murmured in wonder.

"Well, yeah." He replied, giving her a strange look. "I wasn't going to let him take a swing at you with your own sword…even though it's a fake." Saul rubbed the dull edge with his thumb. "Though, cutting through the water barrels with a dull blade is pretty cool." He smiled down at her, resting his arm on the pommel of her sword, balancing it on his shoulder.

Centorea stuttered for a second, before a wide, happy smile curved her lips. "My Noble Master…" She whispered with bliss.

"What?" Saul asked. "I didn't catch that."

She shook her head, straightening her shirt and retrieving her sword as a police car pulled up.

…

She looked up at the sound of hooves. Even in the suburbs, it wasn't the most common sound, and the last person she remembered who had hooves was the centaur from earlier in the day, the one who had picked up the man and chased after the purse-snatcher.

Her eyes locked on the approaching pair, finding the sight of them slowly cantering towards her with sun behind them very heroic. The man dismounted from the centaur's back, stumbling slightly as his shoes hit the ground. He gave her a sheepish smile, holding out her paint-splattered purse. "Sorry it took so long."

Barely believing the sight, she reached out gently pulled the bag from his hand, rifling through the contents. "It's all here." She whispered, closing the top, looking up at the man and the centaur. Suddenly whooping in joy, she rushed forward and hugged the man tightly, kissing his cheek then embracing the centaur, before skipping away happily.

Saul watched the woman skip away, arching an eyebrow when she nearly tripped, as she was wearing high-heels. "Well, she's happy." He muttered, shrugging and grabbing his grocery bag. "Man, I didn't even do most of the work and I'm hungry." He pulled a carrot out of the bag and took a bite out of it.

Pausing, he noticed Centorea staring at the vegetable in his hand with barely-concealed hunger flickering in her eyes. Silently, he withdrew another and held it out to her. "Oh no, I couldn't," She protested, waving her hand.

Arching an eyebrow, he stood on his tiptoes and poked her in the cheek with the tip. "Come on, eat it." He said, poking her again. "You know you want to."

After a minute of that, her self-control snapped and her head whipped around, chomping down on the orange vegetable and devouring it in seconds. Realizing what she had done, Centorea looked away shamefully.

Shaking his head with humor, Saul patted her side. "There's no need to deny your nature, you know. Come on, you did all that running, you must be hungry." He shrugged, beckoning her to follow. "Let me make you a salad. I owe you lunch, at least."

Smiling happily, Centorea nodded and followed, her the gentle clopping of her hooves mingling with the tapping of his shoes. "What is thy occupation?" She asked after a minute, breaking the comfortable silence. "Thou mentioned thy frustration with it."

It took him a second to decode her archaic speech. "Oh, right. Well, I'm suffering from the greatest curse known to mankind:" He paused dramatically, his face twisting in a grimace. " _Writer's block."_ It came out as a venomous hiss.

Centorea blinked in surprise. "That's…not what I was expecting." She admitted honestly, crossing her arms. "What do thou write?"

Saul shrugged. "Right now, fantasy. I want to move on to Science Fiction eventually, and maybe try my hand at some supernatural detective stories." He told her as they approached his house. Unlocking the door, he stepped in with Centorea following. "Ladies! I'm home!"

Behind him, the centaur frowned minutely. "…Ladies?" She asked herself, her neck prickling as a dark shape dropped from the ceiling, a menacing figure rising from the floor in front of them. Her instincts flaring, one hand dropped to her sword, reaching out to pull Saul behind her, only to barely miss his shirt.

Saul smiled brightly and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Rachnee's waist. "Morning, Rachnee. How'd you sleep?" He asked, leaning up to kiss her cheek.

The Arachne smiled warmly, casually draping her arms around his shoulders, her armored fingers playing with a length of his hair. "Good as always, Honey." She replied, before pouting playfully. "Well, until I woke up and couldn't find you."

"You saw the note I left, right?" He questioned, frowning slightly.

Rachnee nodded. "Of course I did. I mean, Miia missed it and started panicking, so I had to… _pacify_ her." Her lips curled in a mischievous smile.

Saul gave her a deadpan look. "You tied her up again." It wasn't a question. "Did she really panic or were you bored? Or is it Tuesday?"

She shrugged unrepentantly. "I was bored at first, but she did panic a little after you didn't come back after two hours, like you said you would in your note." Her solid red eyes flickered over his head, landing on the confused and irritated Centorea. "I'm guessing the centaur in the foyer has something to do with it."

He chuckled lightly, waving his hand at Centorea. "You guessed right. Rachnee, this is Centorea. Centorea, this is Rachnera Arachnera, one of my homestays." He introduced the two, noticing the way the two stared challengingly at each other.

"His first homestay, actually." Rachnee clarified casually, her forelegs wrapping possessively around his waist. "That's means I have dibs."

Centorea blinked, before scowling. "What does that even mean?" She asked bluntly, crossing her arms.

"Apparently the stuff meant for your brains went to your outrageous breasts instead, so I'll say it simply." Rachnee replied easily, checking her nails. "I called dibs, which means that, by the Universal Dibs Law, Honey is mine. Got that? Honey. Is. Mine."

The centaur gasped, aghast. "How dare thou?! My breasts are the average size for Centaurs my age!" She replied angrily. "And I recognize no such law!"

Saul rolled his eyes. "Ladies." He interjected firmly. "No yelling. You just met, so can you at least try to get along?" He asked, before pulling away from Rachnee. "Now, I owe you lunch, Centorea, so I am going to get to it. Rachnee, please help me with lunch."

Crossing her arms, Rachnee nodded. "Sure thing, Honey." She muttered, following behind him after shooting the centaur one last glare.

After storing his groceries and retrieving the makings for a simple lunch of salad and sandwiches, Saul set the ingredients on the counter and leaned against it, crossing his arms and silently staring at Rachnee.

"What?" She asked nonchalantly, tapping her fingers on the table. After another minute, she sighed. "Seriously, what?"

A languid blink was her answer.

Rachnee drew back slightly. "What? Honey, why are you staring at me like that?" She questioned, feeling nervous.

"Why were you acting hostile to a guest?" He asked mildly, still staring at her.

She ran a hand through her lavender tresses. "I don't like her." She answered honestly, shrugging. "I could see by the way she reacted when I greeted you that she doesn't like me either. And I didn't like how close she was standing to you."

Saul sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Rachnee…jealousy isn't an attractive trait." He stated, giving her a level look. "You don't have a problem when Miia _or_ Papi cuddle with me, let alone stand closely."

Rachnee crossed her arms and looked away, not replying.

"What's the problem?" He asked again, frowning in worry. _She's usually very honest with me._ "She's just staying for lunch."

"It's not that." The Arachne replied through gritted teeth, clenching her hands into fists.

"Then what?" Saul stepped towards her, only for her to step back. "Rachnee?"

"She's beautiful." Rachnee whispered, looking away from him. "Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Peach skin…human hands. She's everything I'm not."

"…So?" Saul asked, not comprehending.

Her head drooped, her shoulders slumping. "Am I really so monstrous?" She whispered, playing with her fingers.

Saul tilted his head, giving her a questioning look, before his eyes went wide as realization struck. _She thinks I'm replacing her…_ His lips curled down. "I am seriously offended right now." He stated, briskly stepping towards Rachnee, closing the distance before she could back away. "Rachnee, look at me."

She didn't move. Sighing, Saul reached out and grabbed one of her hands, pulling her towards him. Reaching up, he cupped her cheek and made her look at him. "Rachnee, I am _not_ replacing you." He stated firmly, gazing seriously into her eyes. "That's not something you need to fear, because _it will not happen_."

"How do I know you're not just saying that?" She murmured, unable to tear her eyes away.

Saul sighed. "Rachnera, if I thought you were a monster, would I let you stay? Would I hold your hand, or hug you all the time?" He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. "Would I smile when I think of you, or dream longingly of a time where I can kiss you?" He pressed his cheek to hers, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "If I didn't think you were one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, who I am _so_ attracted to that even just a glance from you sends shivers up my spine, would touch you? If I thought you a monster, Rachnee, I wouldn't have kissed you back that night at the onsen."

"Saul," She whispered, her hot breath brushing his ear. "I'm dangerous."

"I don't care." He immediately replied, squeezing her. "I could roll out of bed and die. I could fall down the stairs and break my neck, or drown in the bathtub or die in a million other simple and embarrassing ways. It won't stop me from living. Are you _that_ afraid of hurting me?"

"It would be so easy." She murmured. "I could cut you with my fingers, or crush you under my weight. Why would you be with me when you could be with someone…safe? Like Yukio, or even Miia. Or that centaur."

Saul snorted, her hair tickling his nose. "If I wanted 'safe', I wouldn't have left America, or my mom's house. If I wanted 'safe' I wouldn't have visited a ninja clan. If being safe means you aren't here, Rachnee, then I don't want to be." He leaned back, looking into her face. "I don't care if you hurt me, Rachnee. I'm a big boy, I can take a few cuts and bruises. If that's the price to pay for having you, then I'll pay it gladly."

Rachnee blinked quickly, water pooling under her eyes. "Saul…" She whispered, her sharp fingers cupping his face. "I really want to kiss you right now."

He paused in thought. "Brace yourself." Saul whispered, before gripping her shoulders and kicking his feet up. "Whoops!"

Rachnee tightened her arms around him, the sudden drop taking her by surprise, pulling her down on top of him. It was also out of view of anyone who was watching, coincidentally.

"Careful, Rachnee. Who knows what you could fall into?" Saul whispered, before pressing his lips to hers under the cover of her hair, one of his hands resting on her neck. "There has to be someone I can talk to." He whispered, breaking away. "Someone who can amend that damn law. Until then…we have to be careful."

She kissed him softly, trying express as much passion and care as she could in those short few seconds. "I know, Honey. And even if they did catch us, I would find you again. They couldn't stop me." Rachnee vowed, pecking his lips.

"Me too." He leaned up and pressed his forehead against hers, simply enjoying her scent and presence. "Now, please help me make lunch, and we can go take a bath in my stupidly big bathtub."

Rachnee smirked, hauling the human to his feet. "That sounds wonderful, Honey."

As they got to fixing the meal, Yukio wandered into the kitchen. "Ah, Saul." She greeted him with a placid smile. "I missed you this morning."

"Hey, Yukio." He replied with a grin. "How are you settling in?"

She stretched as she walked over to join them, grabbing the sandwich things and putting them together as Saul chopped lettuce. "I'm settling in just fine, thank you. My room is really comfortable, and I enjoy having space to myself while also living with other people." She grimaced minutely. "Papi can be…a little excitable."

"Understatement." Rachnee huffed, mixing a pitcher of lemonade. "Hey, can you…?" She trailed off, looking at Yukio expectantly.

The Snow Woman nodded in agreement and reached across the counter, laying a hand on the pitcher and closing her eyes. A layer of frost wrapped around the container, instantly cooling the drink to the perfect refreshing temperature.

"Cool, thanks." Rachnee thanked the other woman with a small smile.

Saul glanced around the kitchen, noticing something amiss. "Usually Papi and Miia would've come to greet me when I first walked in. Are they doing something?" He asked curiously.

"Er, well…" Rachnee stumbled over her words. "Papi was being kind of a nuisance, so I distracted her with your screensaver. And Miia, is, well…a little _tied up_ at the moment."

"Rachnee." The human sighed. "Please don't tell me she's been tied up for hours."

"Oh, she hasn't." The Arachne replied easily. "I let her go after she calmed down a bit. Then she tried to play Dark Souls."

"Ah." Saul nodded in solidarity. "All the pain and self-recrimination of banging your head on a brick wall with none of the fun or pretty colors. She got frustrated, didn't she?"

Rachnee nodded, crossing her arms. "Yeah. She wouldn't stop complaining, so I gagged her. Then, she tried to tackle me or something, so I tied her up. And then I beat the boss she was struggling with." She shook her head, lavender tresses swaying. "I don't know why you guys have such a problem with that game. I think it's fun."

"And I think you're nuts." Saul replied easily. "But the fun kind. Walnuts. Peanuts. But not almonds. _Fuck_ almonds."

Yukio looked at him in confusion. "What do you have against almonds?"

Saul glared off into the distance. "He won't tell anyone why." Rachnee explained. "I guess it'll just go down as one life's great mysteries."

"Anyway, lunch is done, so I'll go get the girls." The human added, washing his hands. "Hey, Centorea! Lunch is ready!"

The Yuki-Onna glanced at the Rachnee. "Centorea?"

The Arachne shrugged. "Some centaur Honey brought home for some reason." She carried the platter of sandwiches to the table. "We can ask him about it while we eat."

Saul walked into the living to find Papi staring blankly at his computer screen, her eyes fixed on the colors swirling across the surface. Miia lay on her stomach, her tail curling up over her head and her hands tied behind her back. Shaking his head, Saul walked over to his bookcase and retrieved a black hardcover book, the title reading _My Immortal_. Flicking it open, the pages were blanks, and therefore twice as well-written as the actual story. Flipping to the middle, he found the storage compartment for one of his knives, hidden in the cut-out pages.

Retrieving the knife, he quickly cut the bonds tying Miia and hid the knife under a couch cushion. Miia sat up with an embarrassed blush, pulling the gag from her mouth. "H-hey, Darling." She stammered. "Where'd you go? I was worried!"

Arching an eyebrow at her, he shrugged. "I went out for a jog, Miia. And I left a note." He pointed out, gaining a sheepish look. "Next time I seem to just disappear, take a look around, see if I left a note. Or just call me."

"Y-yeah." Miia muttered, playing with a length of her crimson hair. "I will, next time. Sorry…"

Seeing her slumping shoulders, Saul wrapped an arm around her. "There's nothing wrong with being worried. It means you care, and that's fine with me. I'm glad you care about me." He kissed her cheek, smiling at her. "Just relax a bit, okay? Wild things don't happen everyday." _Except for today, when I rode a centaur, chased down a thief and beat that thief into unconsciousness with a paint can while he was wielding a sword._

Miia, blushing from the gesture, turned into Saul and hugged him softly, burying her face in the side of his neck. "I do care about you, Darling." She whispered, her lips touching his neck.

Saul stiffened slightly, licking his lips. "Well, I care about you, too. I even made lunch. Why don't you go get some food while I pull Papi from her trance?"

Miia pulled away, smiling happily. "Okay, Darling." Then she kissed his cheek gently and left the room.

The author sighed loudly, rubbing his nose. Retrieving the knife, he put it back in its hiding place. After knowing him, most people would think he had hidden that knife (and four others like it) because of his ninja training. What would probably surprise them is the fact that he'd had those knives for four years, having bought them in America.

Walking over to Papi, he gently poked the her shoulder. "Papi?" He asked, getting no response. Then he poked the side of her head, and when that didn't work, he waved his hand in front of her face. Humming in thought, he nudged her, still getting nothing. Snapping his fingers, Saul stuck his pinky in his mouth and pulled it out, before inserting it in Papi's ear with a quiet squelch.

"Gah!" Papi shrieked in dismay, pulling away and rubbing her ear. "Slimy thing in my ear!"

Saul chuckled quietly, getting her attention. "That worked." He commented dryly.

"Hubby's so mean to Papi!" She complained, hiding under her wings.

"Sorry, Papi. I just wanted to snap you out of your trance, that was the first thing I came up with." He apologized, slipping his hand under her wings to muss her hair. "Lunch is ready, and you must be hungry."

"I am hungry!" Papi replied, sitting and grinning happily. "You have to carry Papi, though!"

Saul chuckled, easily hefting her onto his back. "No problem, Papi." _She's so light it's not even close to a problem._ Papi giggled joyfully, wrapping her wings around Saul's neck, resting her head in his hair. As he made to leave, he stopped as his neck prickled and a warning signal flashed in his head. Turning around, he scanned the room but came up with nothing. "Huh." he muttered, before walking into the dining room.

…

Lunch was a polite affair. Saul sat at one end of the table, with Rachnee on one side and Yukio on the other. Miia and Papi took up two other spots, while Centorea took the other end, trying to look composed while also wolfing down her salad. All that running had built up an appetite, apparently.

"So, how did you and Darling meet?" Miia asked the blonde centaur suspiciously, eyeing her chest with partially-hidden envy.

"I crossed the road in front of her and we nearly ran into each other." Saul interjected, deciding to bend the a truth a little. The ladies would not react well if they heard Centorea nearly trampled him.

"Ah, yes." Centorea added, nodding with an embarrassed redness in her cheeks. "I was out looking for my Noble Master when we met. I introduced myself and we talked for a bit, until a dirty thief stole a woman's purse nearby."

Rachnee narrowed her eyes at the term 'Noble Master'.

"M-Mr. Saul hopped upon my back, and we chased that dastardly rapscallion down and brought him to justice." She glossed over the sweet jump and the fact that Saul had accidentally ripped her shirt open.

"Honey rode you right after you met?" Rachnee asked with mock-scandalized expression. "That's quite a big step in your relationship."

Centorea gave her a deadpan look. "Mr. Saul said something to that effect when I suggested it as well."

Rachnee glanced at Saul with a pleased expression, and he replied with a teasing wink. "Seems like you're rubbing off on me a little."

"More than a little, Honey."

After lunch was done, Centorea looked down nervously, her hand rubbing her arm. "Mr. Saul, could I talk to you?" Noticing that the other women hadn't moved, she clarified, "Alone."

Arching an eyebrow, Saul shrugged. "Sure. Ladies, can you take the dishes up? I'll wash them later." He followed Centorea out into the foyer.

"What do you think she wants to talk to Darling about?" Miia asked curiously.

Rachnee folded her arms, her eyes following them out of sight. "A wild love rival has appeared…" She muttered, huffing quietly.

"What did you want to talk about, Centorea?" Saul asked, leaning against the wall.

She shuffled her hooves anxiously, biting her lip and looking away. Steeling herself, she gazed into Saul's eyes and spoke. "You joined me in meting out justice to that thief, rode upon my back as if you belonged, and defended me when I was defenseless. I believe our meeting was Fate, Saul." She reached down and took his hand, pulling it up and pressing it to her sternum…and against the top of her cleavage. "Do you feel my heartbeat?"

He could, actually. It pulsed strongly under his palm, strong and stern like the beat of a drum. "Um…yes?" Saul replied, not sure where she was going with it.

"My heart beats for thee…" She declared, stepping a little closer. "I've seen your nature, and it calls to me like a siren. Allow me to be thy servant, for I will serve you until my last breath. I will protect all you hold dear until my death, and my loyalty will never be in question. And so I, Centorea Shianus, ask of you…"

Centorea bowed deeply, drawing her sword and holding it out to him on her hands. "Will you be my Noble Master?" She asked, her voice ringing with hope.

 _How do I reply to this?_ Saul thought quickly. _On one hand, she sounds vulnerable, and if I say no, it'll crush her. And it means another person joining my rapidly-filling household. on the other hand, I can see her honorable outlook being annoying, and it means_ yet another _hot woman living in my house!_

And in the end, his kind nature won out. Sighing quietly, her reached out and laid a hand on the sword. "Yes, Centorea Shianus. I am your Noble Master." _God that sounds weird…have I seen this in an anime before?_

Coming up from her bow, Centorea looked at him with joy glittering in her blue eyes. "Please, Master, call me Cerea."

"Okay, Cerea." He replied easily. "But you have to call me Saul. None of this 'Master' stuff. Makes me feel weird. And dirty."

"B-but, thou are my Noble Master!" She protested. "Twould be the height of disrespect to call you anything else!"

"But I don't like it, and it would disrespecting my wishes." He pointed out wisely.

Cerea bowed. "As wish, M-Saul."

He smiled at her, turning as Rachnee looked at them from living room. "You know the foyer echoes a bit, right?" She asked with a dry expression. "We heard pretty much everything you two said."

"Oh." Saul muttered, tapping his chin. "Well, saves me from having to figure out a way to tell you. Cool. Follow me, Cerea, and we can pick out a room." He cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck. "Then I have to get writing. After I take a shower."

…

 **Far Away…**

" _How do I know you're not just saying that?"_ Rachnee murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from Saul's gaze _._ The words echoed through the large, dark room, the quality poor.

Saul sighed. " _Rachnera, if I thought you were a monster, would I let you stay? Would I hold your hand, or hug you all the time?"_ He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the Arachne. " _Would I smile when I think of you, or dream longingly of a time where I can kiss you?"_ He pressed his cheek to hers, his voice dropping to a low whisper that couldn't be heard by the mic.

The short video continued to play, Smith standing to the side of the screen with her arms folded behind her back, her expression and body language stiff and unreadable.

" _If I wanted 'safe', I wouldn't have left America, or my mom's house. If I wanted 'safe' I wouldn't have visited a ninja clan. If being safe means you aren't here, Rachnee, then I don't want to be."_ Saul leaned back, looking into Rachnee's face. " _I don't care if you hurt me, Rachnee. I'm a big boy, I can take a few cuts and bruises. If that's the price to pay for having you, then I'll pay it gladly."_

The video paused with a click of the remote held in Smith's hands. "As you can see, the relationship showcased here is common within the Homestay Program, and growing to the point that the Law banning Human-Extraspecies relations could harm integration efforts." She explained.

A large man, his face and upper body hidden in the shadows, folded his hands. "I've seen enough." He announced firmly.

"Director Asano?" Smith asked curiously.

"Extraspecies Ambassadors have been pushing for an amendment to the law for a quite a while, as have our own." He spoke, his voice deep and wise. "Negative incidents are almost negligible compared to the Success of the Exchange Between Species Bill. I want to push the Amendment further, but we need proof that a serious relationship between Humans and Liminals is viable."

He gestured to the screen, paused on the picture of Saul and Rachnee hugging tightly. "I propose an experiment of sorts, amending the law for this household only. If it succeeds, the amendment will become permanent, but it needs to be observed in action." He tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him, the onyx ring on his finger flashing in the low light. "Are there any opposed?"

A low, negative murmur filled the room for a second, before fading.

"Then it is decided." The Director announced. "Smith, inform Mr. Dewitt of the amendment as soon as possible, and continue to observe."

Smith bowed shortly. "Yes sir." She spun on her heel and marched from the room.

"Now, Agent Toshiko, codenamed 'Johnson', what is your report on the Mermaid talks?"

A plain-faced, though pretty woman stepped up. "Good news. The Queen has agreed-"

Outside of the room, Smith leaned against the wall, taking off her glasses and looking at the ground with tired eyes. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she muttered to herself. "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Honey?"

Sighing heavily, she replaced her glasses and walked off, her heels clicking on the floor.

…

Yukio yawned quietly as she padded through the house, a light blanket wrapped around her shoulders in lieu of a robe. It was the middle of the night, but she had no problem navigating the dim halls.

After Centorea, or 'Cerea' as she preferred to be called, joined their household, nothing much happened. Rachnee and Miia played games, switching every so often while Papi watched and Cerea put her room together and Saul wrote, tapping away at the keys on his laptop.

Dinner had been a pleasant affair, with warm, spicy vegetable soup and soft, fresh bread, along with chicken. However, during dinner, Saul had suddenly sat up as if bitten by something, before wolfing down his food, and hurrying back to his computer, his fingers almost blurring as he quickly typed. After that, he remained glued to the screen, even as bedtime grew close and everyone eventually left for their rooms.

Yukio had found herself waking up in the middle of the night with the contradictory feelings of really having to go to the bathroom and being really thirsty. After relieving the first, she was on her way to the second, pausing as she walked into the living room.

The computer was off, and Saul was sprawled out on the couch, snoring lightly. Yukio gently ran her fingers through his hair as she passed, and after she had quenched her thirst, came back to watch as he slept. He didn't seem to be getting up anytime soon, and Yukio could feel her eyes drooping.

Quietly, she pulled a blanket from the closet and carefully adjusted Saul's head so that it wasn't hanging off of the couch, then stealthily slipped onto the couch next to him, laying her head on his chest and smiling as his arms unconsciously wrapped around her, encasing her in warmth.

Yukio opened her eyes and glanced around the room, wondering why she felt like she was being watched, before dismissing it as nothing. She settled into Saul's embrace and quickly fell asleep to the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat.

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: Surprise! It didn't take me a month to update this story! Whoop!**

 **Yeah, I had this chapter started probably two hours after the last one was posted. I've had 'The Cerea Chapter' in mind for a bit, and I wanted to do it. As you saw, she ended up joining the household, and already some sparks of rivalry are flying between her and Rachnee. As I said, her super-honorable nature is kind of annoying, but I like her.**

 **And speaking of, Rachnee: She has body issues, no two ways about it. After growing up in a place where everyone looks like her, traveling to an entirely new place where most people fear her for her appearance has given her some issues, as it would in real life. Because I want my characters to come across as living beings, who react and don't go back to being the same in the next episode.**

 **And with the amendment being pushed through next chapter, some things are going to change…again. With the full moon coming up as well, expect sexy things. Maybe even a lemon. Or several…no, just one. Maybe. Possibly. Probably.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Big thanks, once again, to Kurogane7 for helping edit. I mean, you're already on FF dot net, right, so why not go and look at his stuff?**

 **Enjoy the chapter and your day, and if you want to, leave a review. It would be nice, is all I'm saying, and we all like nice things.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Papi's not part of the pairing, just to be frank. She may be the same age as Miia, but mentally and physically, she's about thirteen. And that's not attractive to me, or Saul, so thus, she's not part of the pairing. I'm not a loli. I like women, not girls. Like Smith. Oh well.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	9. Pure Lunacy, I Tell You!

It was still dark, early in the morning, with thin streams of dull white light barely creeping over the horizon. Rachnee didn't mind. She had six eyes, and all of them could see in the dark better than some could in the day. They were all fixed on the couch in the living room, and the people sleeping on it.

She hadn't said anything the previous night, but her host's sudden frenzied writing had worried her. His eyes had been glued to his screen, seemingly unaware of the world around him, ignoring every question or answering with short, meaningless grunts. He had still been awake when she decided to go to bed, but she had only a few short hours of fitful sleep.

Rachnee had woken up in her hammock, confused and groggy, wondering why she was pulled from her oddly barren dreams. Glancing around, she questioned why she felt so cold and why the room was so empty, before her eyes fixed on the unoccupied, neatly-made bed.

She had come down into the living room, prepared to tie Saul up and drag him to bed if necessary, but was surprised to find him conked out on the couch. What's more is that Yukio was sleeping with him, a content smile on her lips with his arms lightly clutching her to him.

A spike of jealousy had poked Rachnee, but her memories of the night before made her wonder. She remembered Yukio going to bed even before her. It was possible the snow woman had woken up in the middle of the night to get a drink or something, had seen Saul sprawled out on the couch and decided to join him.

She brushed the feeling away, dragging her beanbag over to the couch and settling on it next to the arm, where her host's head lay. She settled in, watching his peaceful sleeping face, running one of her hands through his hair. It was getting a little long, Rachnee noted, enjoying the way the soft, thick strands felt on her sharp fingers. It actually made her a little jealous, how soft his hair was, but that didn't stop her from liking how it felt.

Her other hand rose to touch his cheek, delicately tracing formless patterns on tan skin intermixed with dark stubble. With just a little bit of effort, she could pierce his skin and draw blood, but she didn't want to. She was heavier than he was, and stronger. With him sleeping as deeply as he was, she could pull him somewhere private and give into the desire that had burning inside of her, and by the time he woke up, he wouldn't push her away. Not that he could, if she was so inclined. Hell, if she straight-up demanded carnal satisfaction, damn the consequences, he'd probably give in after a token resistance.

While part of her trilled with arousal at the image of Saul under her, face red and blue eyes glazed with pleasure with his body bound to a bed, the rest revolted, including the part she couldn't hide around him: The romantic side. She didn't want to take him. She wanted to give it to him, and have it returned in kind.

She trailed her fingers down his jaw, brushing over his lips. It made her think of how they felt on her own, how every tender kiss they had shared, as few as they were, had sent electricity arcing up and down her spine and how it felt like liquid fire was pooling in her stomach.

Rachnee really couldn't wait much longer. A week at most.

As she slowly rubbed his lips with her fingers, she noticed something she hadn't before. A thin, pale scar on the left side of his mouth, curling down around his bottom lip. It wasn't big, mostly hidden by the scruff around his mouth that was a pale imitation of facial hair. Rachne suspected he kept it because it made him look intellectual when he rubbed his chin.

The tip of her finger traced the scar and Saul jerked suddenly, his hand shooting up to grip her arm with panicked strength, his blue eyes fixed on her. She gasped in shock, before noticing that his gaze was unseeing, showing that he was still asleep despite the way his chest heaved.

Rachnee ran her fingers through his hair again. "Easy, Honey, easy." She murmured as he slowly released her arm, his hand dropping to the floor.

Yukio shifted, grunting sleepily and wondering why her lovely warm pillow was moving. It settled after a few seconds and she sighed in content, rubbing her nose on it and falling deeper into sleep.

If she hadn't just been startled, Rachnee would've laughed at how the normally placid-faced woman looked, snugging into Saul's chest like a puppy or a child seeking warmth…Rachnee sighed, thinking of children. Shaking her head, she turned her gaze back to Saul, his eyes fluttering closed. "…nee…" She heard him whisper before going slack.

Shaking her lavender tresses out of her face, Rachnee settled on her beanbag, her arms gently wrapping around Saul's neck, her head settling on his shoulder. Before long, her eyes closed and she joined the pair in sleep.

…

It was midday, the summer sun shining down on the town as various people went about their business. One such person was Saul, who was sitting on a bench, waiting. His morning had started in a rather strange way.

 _I barely remember falling asleep, I was so focused on writing. It was only when I woke up and realized I'd written three pages of random letters with my face that I realized I should get my ass in bed. So I closed my laptop and sat on the couch preparing to get up…and I fell asleep again, but this time for real._

 _I don't know what happened during the night, but when I suddenly awoke early in the morning, I had Yukio sleeping on my chest with a blanket thrown over us, and a pair of slender, armored arms wrapped around my neck. I could barely turn my head, but I found Rachnee sleeping behind me, her head leaning against my shoulder as she snored quietly._

 _Then I wondered why I was awake, and why I could hear guitar for some reason…_

" _ONE PUUUUUUUU-"_

 _There is really no way to gracefully yelp in shock and tumble off a couch, is there? Especially not when two ladies are sleeping on you. Why do I bring it up? Because that's exactly what I did._

 _After rolling on the floor, I tried to stand up and got tangled in the thin blanket around my legs, landing on the carpet again. I managed to crawl to the coffee table and get my hands on the phone right as the band started singing. "Appearing! Certain victory! The Absolute-"_

 _I hit the accept call button and put it to my ear. "Dewitt's Deviant Dome of Decadent Debauchery, what's your kink?" I asked, rubbing my forehead._

" _Incest." A familiar, feminine voice replied dryly, before giggling._

" _Leah!" I couldn't help but say. "What are you doing? Why are you calling me at-" I checked the time on my phone. "-six in the morning? And isn't it like, two, where you are?"_

 _I could hear the shrug she made, even though I couldn't see her. "I got up early." She replied cheerfully. Too cheerfully. Fuck morning people. "How you doin'?"_

 _I shrugged. "Just fine. You remember that Extraspecies Bill?"_

" _Hells yeah!" She replied happily. "I'm so glad it passed! I've gotten to meet so many new people! And most of them are hot chicks!"_

" _Well, I'm currently living with…" Rachnee, Miia, Papi, Yukio and Cerea. Jesus, that's a lot of women. "Five of them. I applied to be a homestay and got accepted."_

" _Lucky! Building your harem, I see?" Leah said teasingly._

" _Course." I grunted back, unable to contain a smile. "First a harem, then world domination." We shared a warm chuckle. "But seriously, why the fuck are you calling me this early?"_

 _She shrugged again. "Just wanting to see how you're doing." Leah answered simply, though I got the feeling she was hiding something. "I can't wait to meet your homestays! Are they nice? And hot?"_

" _Yes to both, and when is that, exactly?" I've wanted her to come by for a long time. It's been too long since I last saw my older sister. "And are you bringing Mai?"_

" _Sooner than you think!" Leah replied cheerfully. "And pfft, of course I'm bringing my girlfriend, stupid."_

" _Just checking." I paused for a jaw-cracking yawn. "Anyway, I need to get back to sleep. I was in one of my writing moods last night."_

" _Ah." She muttered understandingly. "Alright, I'll let you get some more shut-eye. I'll see you soon, okay? I love you."_

" _Love you too." I replied. I always smile when I hear that. I should probably go shopping in a week._

 _I turned to find Yukio looking at me from the floor, her white hair ruffled by the sudden tumble, blinking sleepily at me as Rachnee rubbed her eye. "Who was that, Honey?" She asked tiredly._

" _My sister." I replied simply, putting my phone in my pocket. My eyelids felt heavy, wanting to droop and send me back to sleep. "I did not get enough sleep."_

" _Mhm." Yukio mumbled, slowly pushing herself up from the floor to flop on me, her arms dangling around my shoulders._

 _Rachnee chuckled tiredly, grabbing my free hand and leading me up the stairs and down the hall to our room. "C'mon, let's get back to sleep." She murmured, pushing both of us on to the bed._

 _I laid down and pulled the covers up as Yukio immediately cuddled against my chest, Rachnee settling her human half on the mattress behind me, her arm being draped around my shoulder. I barely had time to ponder the change in sleeping situation before I fell asleep._

 _Breakfast wasn't awkward, thankfully._

"Darling."

 _Though I'm definitely glad Miia didn't try to wake us up._

"Darling!"

 _I'm pretty sure the flames of her jealousy could've lit the house on fire._

"Darling, pay attention to me."

 _I mean, with Yukio there, she could've just put the fire out, but now I'm being literal._

A pair of fingers snapping in front of his face made Saul blink, looking up to find Miia wearing a concerned and annoyed expression. "Oh, sorry Miia, I was lost in thought. Ready to go?" He asked, getting up.

A bright smile lit up Miia's face. "Of course, Darling! Where to first?"

"Well, we've got all day and there's plenty to do." He shrugged, waving in the general direction of everything. "Why don't you pick?"

She peered around the area, biting her lip in thought, before screwing up her eyes and pointing at a brightly lit building. "What's that, Darling?"

"An arcade."

"Ooh!" Miia clapped enthusiastically. "Let's go there!"

Saul checked his watch. _11:00. Whoever's having an early lunch would be eating by now, and I don't see a lot of kids out, so the arcade should be pretty empty._ "Yeah, let's go." Miia grabbed him by the arm, nearly dragging him with her strength as she hurried towards the arcade. Once inside, the Lamia's eyes lit up, nearly sparkling with joy at the sight of the all the machines.

Once Saul had exchanged a few bills for coins, they played down the line of machines, going from Tekken to House of the Dead, from Soul Calibur to a racing game. Saul played a round of Dance-Dance Revolution by himself, as Miia didn't have legs, and they used plastic guns to shoot Terminators; then moved to skee ball, where Saul waited until he was sure no one was looking to toss the balls directly into the center hole. By that time, they had been in the arcade for around an hour and it was starting to fill up with kids and teens.

As they made to leave, Miia stopped short upon seeing a claw machine and the various stuffed animals inside the glass box. "Darling," She murmured, tugging on his sleeve and pointing at the machine. "Let's do that one! Please?"

Arching an eyebrow, Saul checked his pocket. He had one coin left, and it was worth a try. "Sure, Miia. Which one do you want?" He asked, putting the coin in and pressing the button as the music started up.

"That one!" She announced, poking the glass.

With sure hand and quick, deft touches, Saul had the claw descending on the toy, picking it up and carrying it to the drop zone. He reached in and pulled the toy out; it resembled a blue penguin with stitches around the belly, and peg legs instead of feet. When squeezed, it would mutter, " _Dood."_ Shrugging, he turned and presented the toy to Miia, who gasped happily.

"It's so cute!" She squealed, hugging the doll to her chest, before turning to Saul with sparkling eyes. "Thank you so much, Darling!" She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He stumbled back from the weight, but hugged her back. "No problem, Miia. It's about noon, why don't we get lunch?"

She nodded happily, taking his arm once again as they headed out into the streets. "Darling, you were really good at the claw thing." She complimented innocently. She did not expect Saul to slump over, a storm cloud nearly appearing over his head.

"You would not believe how much time and money I spent on those things as a kid." He mumbled depressingly, before perking up. "But, I got to put my skills to good use. I got you to smile. So I'd say it was worth it."

Miia flushed brightly, clutching his arm to her chest. "Silly Darling…" She whispered, hiding her smile behind his shoulder.

People had gotten used to Liminals since the time Saul took Rachnee out, and while a few people took pictures, it was more because of Miia's tail, with her ruby-red scales and matching hair.

Lunch was an interesting affair. Since Miia's tail made up about ¾ of her body length and it mostly pure muscle, she needed a lot of protein. To that fact, the pair of them found a buffet that catered to Extraspecies. Miia ate about three times as much as Saul, and the proprietors seemed to take it as a challenge of their skill as chefs to get her full; piling meat, vegetables and noodles before the Lamia.

Miia ate everything put in front of her, accepting the challenge and giving it her all.

Saul, on the other hand, had his fill then sat back and watched the proceedings with a morbid sort of curiosity, drinking tea and chatting with the chef's daughter, who was a waitress.

It took an hour, but the chefs claimed victory, finally ending with Miia admitting defeat and waving away another plate. Good thing, too. If she had eaten any more, Saul would've had to roll her out of the door.

She was leaning heavily on him as they left, Saul waving back to the proprietors. "That's quite the girl you have there!" The man called cheerfully, his wife and daughter standing next to him. "You know what they say about women who can eat!"

His wife shook her head fondly, and his daughter turned red. "Dad!"

Chuckling, Saul lead Miia to a nearby park, half-carrying the groaning woman, who was clutching her stomach and looking pale. "Urgh…Darling, I ate too much…"

"I know, I was there." He said quietly, sitting them down on a park bench. "Let's just sit here for awhile."

She nodded slowly, and they sat there for a bit, just listening to the sounds of urban life. Eventually, her head came to a rest on his shoulder, and her breathing evened out. Huffing in amusement, Saul gently pushed her off, carefully maneuvering her body so that her head rested in his lap. He took her cute little frilled cap off, setting it aside and letting her bright red hair flow naturally.

He tried to stop himself, he really did, keeping his left hand on her abdomen, part of his palm resting on her smooth stomach, bared by her top; and his right on her forehead, but he couldn't stop himself. He moved his hand up, fingers twitching and gently…ran his fingers through her hair.

It was soft, like he expected, but also kind of slick, for the lack of a better word. It reminded him of her scales, actually. Saul paused as Miia moaned quietly, turning her head and rubbing her nose against his stomach, and ran his fingers through her hair again when she whined in her sleep.

When Miia awoke an hour later, she wondered why she felt so relaxed, twitching as a hand passed through her hair. Blinking sleepily, she jumped a little when her amber eyes met Saul's blue. "Feeling better, sleepyhead?" He asked, smiling warmly.

Miia felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, unable to pull her gaze away. "…Mhm." She hummed simply.

"Good." He replied, patting her head. "We should get going, soon. Sun's looking like it'll start going down soon."

Grudgingly, Miia lifted her head from his lap, immediately missing the warmth and closeness. As they stood, she grasped his arm and pulled it to her chest, hugging the limb to herself. They began to head back home, enjoying the quiet ambiance.

A loud ringing ahead made them look up, only to jump out of the way of a bike, bearing a young police officer at the bars. "Sorry!" He called apologetically, zipping past.

Saul glared at the man's retreating back, turning to see how Miia was doing, only to find that they had wrapped their arms around each other when jumping out of the way, and were now about three inches apart. His eyes flicked downward, landing on her sweet pink lips, glistening in the late afternoon light, her tongue darting out to moisten them.

He looked back up to find her amber eyes burning with something warm and longing, one of her hands resting on the back of his neck, the other below his shoulders. He became aware that his arms were around her waist, and that she was gently applying pressure, leaning in slowly as she pushed him forward, closing the distance until he could feel the heat from her breath. His lips parted slightly, her eyes fluttering as they closed the gap…

And Saul's phone rang, snapping them out of trance they had been trapped in. Clearing his throat roughly, the host stepped away to answer his phone as Miia felt her cheeks redden, cursing the sudden intrusion.

"Smith's there?" He asked, arching an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you know why, Cerea?"

" _I do not, Master."_ The centaur replied formally. " _She did say it was something important. That is all I know."_

"Okay, thanks for letting me know." He paused. "And don't call me Master." Then he hung up, turning to Miia with a sheepish face. "Well, we should really get home now, Smith has something important to say."

Miia just nodded, biting her lip and trying not to look in his direction. As they moved, Saul spoke up.

"Did you have a good date, at least?" Saul asked hopefully.

She glanced up at him, pulling the stuffed animal he had won from her purse. She squeezed it gently, smiling at the squeaky " _Dood."_ Miia met his eyes. "It was the best, Darling." She said honestly and, feeling bold, she slipped her hand into his, interlacing their fingers when he didn't pull away.

"I'm glad." Hand-in-hand, they made their way back home.

…

Upon entering their home, the pair were confronted by the sight of all the homestays lined up in the living room, with Smith leaning against his bookcase, the atmosphere serious. "What's up?" Saul asked, closing the door behind him.

Smith sighed heavily, taking her sunglasses off and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "There's been a development in the program." She admitted, peering at him with sharp brown eyes. "A new amendment looking to gain traction. The amendment allows for interspecies marriage, but there's no evidence that such a coupling would work out. So, they found a test case…you."

Saul sucked his teeth quietly. "Hmm. So, what you're saying is…"

"You have to chose one of these women to marry." The agent confirmed, waving her hand at the gathered girls, who looked shocked to the last. "It's an experiment to see how human-extraspecies couplings could work out, so anything goes."

The author nodded. "Okay. Is there a time limit for my choice?" He asked calmly.

Smith blinked in surprise. She'd honestly been expecting him to shout, or at least emote more than the placid chin-scratching he was doing right then. "Um, no…? I don't think so, why?"

"Because if there was, I'd have to say no." He replied blithely.

"Why, Darling?!" Miia interrupted, looking at him with wide eyes.

He turned a flat glare on her. "Miia, I have known Rachnee for about a month, you about a week less, Papi about a week less than that, Yukio for just over a week, and Cerea just joined yesterday. I'm going to need more time than that to decide who I want to marry." His eyes flicked to Smith. "Don't expect an answer anytime soon. I'm not adverse to adding a physical element to my relationships, but I'm not marrying anyone until I know for damn certain that we will be happy together."

Smith nodded understandingly, before fixing him with a glare. "Just because 'physical elements' are allowed, that doesn't mean you can go around 'coupling' with Extraspecies because you can." She said seriously.

Saul gave her an irritated look. "Do I really look like that kind of person, Agent Smith?" He asked coldly, scowling at her. "I'm not a hormonal teenager. I don't throw myself at every good-looking woman that passes me by, and you _really_ need to understand that." He huffed an annoyed breath through his nose, shaking his head as he walked to the kitchen. "I think you know where the door is."

The agent gaped at him in dismay. He had never dismissed her out of hand like that, nor told her to leave. She had honestly expected him to invite her to dinner like usual. Swallowing uneasily, she shook her head, pushing her glasses back on. "Fine. Girls, remember what tonight is." Without another word, she left the house.

Rachnee glanced at the other girls, before scuttling after her host, finding him chopping carrots. Though his face was placid, the force with which he cut the orange vegetables belied his anger. "Honey?" She asked delicately.

"Hmm?" He hummed, smiling at her. "What's up?"

"You okay?"

Saul smiled thinly at her, the knife digging into the cutting board. "I'm perfectly fine…especially since someone I consider a friend keeps telling me to control myself, like I'm a dog who will hump anything with legs at the slightest provocation." His fake smile fell, allowing her to see the hurt in his eyes.

"Honey…" Rachnee murmured, her hand resting on his shoulder. "You know she's just trying to look out for us."

"I know, but she doesn't need to insult me to do it." He shot back shortly, sniffing angrily and blinking quickly. "I have _never_ done what she insinuates, even when I really, _really_ wanted to. I have self-control. And I'm _not_ crying _._ "

The Arachne wrapped her arms around him from behind. "She hurt your feelings." She stated quietly.

"Of course she hurt my feelings!" He barked, his hands trembling from how hard he gripped the counter. "We're friends. She's my coordinator. She's supposed to trust me-I thought she did! But no, it's always, 'control yourself!' or 'make sure you don't break the law!', like I'm not already aware of that."

Saul turned on her embrace, wrapping his arms around her. She felt hot tears drip on her shoulder, and tightened her grip on him in return. "Honey, it's alright. I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you. Let's go cuddle on the couch and let Yukio and Cerea handle dinner, just take your mind off of it."

"Yeah," He sighed, nodding into her shoulder. "I'd like that."

…

Dinner was a quiet affair, and Saul had pushed his salad away after eating half, declaring that he was tired, had a big lunch, and was going to bed, goodnight ladies.

He found himself sitting on top of his bed an hour later, staring at the darkened ceiling with swirling emotions bubbling in his chest. He sighed unhappily, turning on his side to look out of his window, the light of the full moon washing over his sheets.

The door creaked open quietly, the sound of scales brushing over carpet filtering into his ears. "You should be asleep, Miia." He said out loud, still facing the window.

"I know, Darling." She answered quietly. "I just wanted to check in on you…see how you're doing."

"I'm fine." Saul replied dishonestly.

A strong, slim hand grasped his arm, rolling him over to look at her. "You're lying." She whispered, peering at him with glittering amber eyes. He looked at her for second, before his gaze dropped to what she was wearing. Or not wearing, rather.

It was a flimsy, light pink see-through negligee that allowed him to see everything, from the way her large breasts, topped with hardening nipples heaved with every breath, and the fact that she wasn't wearing anything below the waist. "Miia…" He whispered warningly.

"Don't worry, Darling." She murmured, her voice low and predatory. "I'll make you feel _all_ better."

Then she dived down, crushing her lips to his. Saul grunted in protest and tried to push her off, but her hands gripped his wrists and trapped his arms above his head, her tail snaking around his legs. Her tongue tried to enter his mouth, but he locked his jaw tight.

Miia pulled away from his lips, turning her attention to his neck. "Did you know…" She whispered lustfully, in between kisses to his throat, "that sex with a lamia…" Her tail squeezed his legs painfully, having cocooned him almost to the waist. "goes on all night long?"

"No and I don't care!" He replied forcefully, trying to buck her off of him, but her tail had him almost immobilized. "Get off, Miia!"

She chuckled in a way that sounded more threatening than arousing. "Oh, Darling," She murmured, sucking on a pulse point in the junction between his neck and his collarbone. "I intend to." Then she bit down on the point, making Saul gasp in pain.

Faster than he could react, Miia had moved back up and kissed him roughly, her long tongue slithering into his open mouth, uncaring of his objecting grunts. Despite his unwillingness, Saul still had a very shapely and attractive woman trying to meld them together, and his stiffening arousal pressed against her crotch.

"Ooh!" Moaning in pleasured surprise, Miia held his wrists with one hand, the other dragging down his front, uncaring of the reddening furrows she was leaving on his chest, slipping it into his sleeping pants and grasping his length.

In any other circumstance, Saul would have enjoyed her smooth hand touching him intimately, but her mind was clouded with lust and her grip was strong enough to bruise, and he _did not_ want bruises where she was gripping.

His eyes flicked out of the window, seeing a familiar shape rising in front of the moon. He twisted his right hand away from Miia's grasp, quickly reaching over to throw the window up. The cold blast of air was enough to make the Lamia recoil in surprise, and Saul pressed himself further into his mattress just as a blue blur zipped through the open window, slamming into Miia and sending all three sprawling on the ground.

The coils around his legs loosened enough that Saul could slip out, diving over the thrashing pile of Miia and Papi and racing for the door. As he approached, he noticed the light at the bottom shifting, hopping aside as the door was thrown open.

"Master!" Cerea called, seeing him ruffled and fleeing. She reached out and grabbed his hand, easily pulling him onto her back and galloping away from the room. "I apologize for the delay, Master! I was busy cleaning my sword when I heard struggling in your room. I only pray I was quick enough to avoid thou being violated."

His arms around her stomach, Saul sighed in a mixture of relief and aggravation. "Not fast enough, but at least you came to help." He grumbled. "Cerea, you can withstand the moon's effects?"

"Of course, Master." She replied, almost haughtily. "Not even the full moon could override my devotion to you!"

A sinking feeling made itself known in his stomach. _Ah, shit_. His feeling was proven right as Cerea reached behind her, grasping his arm and easily pulling him from her back to hold him to her chest, pressing him against the nearby wall. Her face was turning pink, her blue eyes glazing over as the moon's madness sunk in.

"I will serve thee in every way I can, Master." Her voice sunk to a low, amorous whisper as her hands cradled his face, keeping him pinned to the wall by her strength and breasts alone. "My body and soul are yours to command. Whatever you order, Master, I will do it gladly. If you desire to use my body for pleasure, it would fill my heart with joy."

To prove her point, she backed up a step and ripped her shirt off, not caring that she ruined the garment as she hugged Saul to her chest, burying the lower half of his face in her prodigious breasts. "Cerea." Saul said calmly, though his voice was muffled by her warm, sensitive flesh. "We've known each other a day. My body is not ready for this. In any other situation, I would enjoy this. As it is, you are suffocating me with your boobs."

He reached up and grasped two large handfuls of her breasts, trying to give himself both some wiggle-room and some air. Cerea gasped in pleasure. "Oh, Master! I'm sensitive!"

Arching an eyebrow, Saul pinched her nipples, making the centaur moan and jump in delight, allowing him enough room to slip out of her arms and hit the ground running. As he ran, he heard Cerea call out for him along with Miia and Papi, who had just caught up with her. _My house is so big I should be able to lose them, but I need to call-_ He slid to a stop next to a metal door, the walls around it the same. Throwing it open, he ducked inside and closed the door, faintly hearing the thundering hooves of the centaur running past. _Yukio should be fine, being a Snow Woman. I can at least catch my breath._

"Yukio?" He called quietly, not able to see through the fog rolling around the room. "Are you awake?"

Being in a room-shaped refrigerator, and with him being dressed in his pajamas, Saul grew cold quickly. It wasn't as cold as Fuji, but there was a thin film of sweat on his skin from exertion. It at least killed his erection.

"Saul?" Her placid voice replied faintly. "What are you doing here?"

The fog cleared enough for him to see better, allowing him to spot Yukio. She was sitting on the floor in lotus, wearing nothing but a white tank-top and panties, looking up at him with surprise in her eyes. "Hiding from the others." He said plainly, rubbing his arms. "Sorry to intrude, but I needed to catch my breath."

"It is alright." She said with a shrug, a small smile on her lips. "I don't mind if you stay here with me."

He smiled back. "Thanks. Sure is foggy in here. Kind of hard to see. Does it do this usually? I can get someone to look at it, if you want." He waved his hand through the air, watching the fog swirling from the motion. "On the other hand, it's pretty sweet."

Yukio didn't reply, still looking up at him with her smiling face, her eyes glittering. "You've been so good to me, Saul." She whispered as dread pooled in his chest. "I can see you are getting cold…come, let me warm you."

"You aren't resisting the effects." Saul sighed, jerking as ice sprung from the floor, pinning his feet to the ground. "How is this supposed to warm me? And why can't you resist the moon? You're in a refrigerator!"

She giggled sweetly, padding toward him with sensual sway of her hips. Her hand brushed over his neck, making him shiver. "You can be so silly, Beloved." Yukio murmured, trailing her fingers across his lips. "I'm a Yuki-Onna. We live and breathe cold."

The author shook his head in despair. "I really should've seen this coming." He admitted ruefully. "But I overlooked it, hoping at least one person would be sane during this." _But, if cold doesn't work on a full moon-crazed Snow Woman, perhaps the opposite is true?_

Her hands clasped the back of his neck, pulling his head down and pressing his lips to hers. Saul didn't resist as her tongue slipped into his mouth to tangle with his, finding that she tasted sweet and cold. He brought his hands up and cupped her cheeks after rubbing them together.

The sudden rush of warmth made Yukio balk and pull away, her eyes clearing. "What? Saul?" Realization struck. "You need to get out of here!" It was the first time he'd heard her sound panicked, her ice-blue eyes wide. "I won't be able to control myself."

The ice around his feet, which had gone numb, receded and set him free as Yukio quickly backed away. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He rushed for the door, glancing back over his shoulder as the fog closed back around her to see the white-haired woman touch her lips with a smile.

He exited the room at a run and made it three steps before his feet decided to remind him that they couldn't feel anything, jackass. He hit the ground, sliding across the wooden floor, before rolling over and seizing his ankles, shaking his legs. "Come on, come on!" The feeling in his feet rushed back. "Ah! Pins and needles, pins and needles!"

Pushing himself up, Saul hobbled down the hall, his hand diving in his pocket to grab his phone. He opened the speed dial, hit three and then talk.

…

Smith, as she was known to most, sighed as she tried to relax in the hot water of her bath. But every time she tried to close her eyes, Saul's face would flash into her mind, his eyes filling with hurt before scowling and dismissing her.

It didn't sit right with her, although it should have. A little professional distance should be maintained as his coordinator, but she couldn't help it. He knew her well. He bought or made her coffee without asking, usually invited her to whatever meal was relevant at the time of day she visited, and besides a few cursory glances at her figure, he kept eye contact.

When she arrived at his house, Smith was dreading the news she had to give, for a few personal reasons and a few professional ones. Giving the girls the ability to get into a relationship could lead to many good things, like love and marriage. But also just as many bad things, like hate and divorce. She wanted to protect her girls from it, but it wasn't up to her.

She had hoped that Saul would accept the news, which he had, and then let her stay for dinner, eating good food and spending time in good company. Instead, she had insulted the host, was basically kicked out, had to eat a couple bowls of crappy instant udon and was now so guilt-ridden she couldn't enjoy something as simple and relaxing as a bath.

 _I hope he still considers us friends._ Smith thought mournfully, dragging her hand aimlessly through the hot water. _I don't have many…who am I kidding? I barely have one._

Her long hours, almost constant overtime and rare free days didn't leave one with much social time, and even though she knew her girls liked her, it was more of an acquaintance who is also an authority figure relationship. Even the M.O.N. ladies had more a working relationship with her, with Manako being the only one she spent time outside of work with and that was rare, as the Cyclops was so damn shy it was almost painful.

Smith was jolted from her thoughts as her phone rang. Drying a hand on the towel around her hair, she plucked her phone from the floor and hit the green button. "Agent Smith."

"Smith!" Saul called as he ran through his house, panting. "I need help! The girls…they want the D and I don't mean my last name!"

The agent snorted. "I thought you said you 'weren't averse to adding a physical element to your relationships'?" _Why am I being mean? I just said I hoped we're still friends, this isn't helping._

The author grunted, sliding around a corner, ducking as Papi zipped over his head. "Yeah, when they're _sane!_ And not so out of control they'd crush me like a tube of toothpaste!"

Smith sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Alright, you read the pamphlet, right?"

"Of course."

"So, what you want to do is-" Her phone slipped from her sweaty hand, landing in the water with a emphatic _plunk!_ "Shit!"

"Hello?" Saul asked, pulling his phone away to find that the call had been ended. "What the fuck? She hung up on me?!"

He stuffed his phone in his pocket as he entered the foyer, climbing the stairs quickly to put a layer of house between him and the girls. As he ran, the door to the attic opened up as he passed underneath, a string of web shooting down and sticking to his back.

Saul was pulled to a stop, before being heaved up into the attic with a surprised yelp. The door slammed shut immediately afterward, just as Cerea came around the corner looking for him.

He hit the ground and less than a second later he was pinned to the floor by a large body. Rachnee had him trapped, his feet caught by her lower body, her forelegs wrapped so tightly around his waist, meshing their bodies together, with her upper body sitting on top of his, her slender fingers holding him down by the shoulders. Her red eyes were glazed with lust, but she didn't move any further, only staring down at him with pink cheeks, panting heavily.

They stared at each other for a bare minute, before one moved. Unlike the other times he had been kissed that night, Saul leaned up and initiated it, kissing Rachnee softly. She returned the gesture gladly, her hand threading through his hair as she pressed him into the floor.

A sharp pain on the back of his head drove Saul from his warm reverie, making his eyes go wide as he tried to pull away, only for Rachnee to press his lips harder to hers, her fingers digging painfully into the back of his scalp. _If I give in now, she might accidentally shred me. She could kill me, and that would hurt her so badly. Even though I want to…I need to get away before we do something we'll both regret tomorrow._

They broke apart a moment later with Rachnee directing her attention to his neck. "Rachnee, wait…" He objected. "We can't do this…you're not you right now…"

"Doesn't matter." She replied bluntly, her smooth tongue sliding over his skin.

"Yes it does." Saul murmured, freeing his arm enough to cup her cheek. "I want to do this with you, Rachnee, I really do, but when _we_ want to, not because of the full moon."

She ignored him easily, finding a pulse point in the junction of his neck, preparing her venom for injection. When her venom was mixed with her saliva, it made for a potent numbing agent. But when it was injected directly from her fangs, it acted as a paralytic, removing the ability to move, but not to feel. Thus an Arachne's prey wouldn't be able to struggle, but still able to feel pleasure. Even then, they were still cocooned just in case it wore off before they could mate.

Her spinnerets were ready to produce thread, and her fangs were dripping with venom. In this case, Saul was Rachnee's prey.

The thought raced across her mind like a lightning bolt. _Prey?_ She thought curiously. _No. Saul. Friend. Lover. Honey._ A sharp shock made her gasp in surprise as her primeval brain receded and she scrabbled away from her host until her back was pressed against a wall.

"Rachnee?" Saul asked in surprise, finding himself suddenly freed. "You're sane!"

She pressed herself further into the wall, her fingers twitching, straining against her self-restraint to release her thread and bind her prey. "Not for long, Honey." She gasped out. "You need to…you need to do something for me."

Saul pushed himself up, making sure to keep his distance from her. "What?" She quickly threw a pile of high-strength thread on the floor.

"Tie me up." She said simply. "Otherwise, when I lose control, I will chase you down…and I don't know if I can hold myself back then."

"Alright." He breathed softly, gathering the thread. "Turn around."

With Rachnee's back to him, Saul tied her arms behind her back, attaching a length of thread from her arms to her leg joints, so that she couldn't move her arms too far without hurting her legs, and wrapped her individual knuckles so that she couldn't use her fingers to cut through her web. Rachnee shivered as his warm hands restrained her, her self-control slipping further with every second.

Just as he tied the last knot, she lost the battle with her instincts, turning and lunging at her host. However, his skills with ropes, having been in them very often, meant his knots held and Rachnee tumbled to the floor, unable to move much.

Saul grabbed a pillow and set it under her head, so that she would be comfortable while the lunacy burned out of her, avoiding her snapping jaws as he did. He bent and quickly kissed the top of her lavender hair. "I'll be back in the morning." He promised, before pulling down two of the banner-like hangings around her room.

He tied them together, then secured one end to a rafter near a round window at one end, before popping it open and slipping out, sliding down his makeshift rope to land on the grass below. Saul ran around the outside of his house, heading towards the backyard. _There should be a hose right about…there!_

He twisted the knob quickly, unwrapping the hose and twisting the nozzle to 'wide spray'. _If this doesn't work, I might be raped to death. If that happens, hopefully they don't put it on my tombstone. Saul Dewitt - Loving Brother and Son, Raped to Death by Three Women, One of Whom was a Loli._ He thought dryly. _I can't think of many more embarrassing ways to die. But it is a cloudless night and the water should be cold._

Taking a deep, bracing breath, Saul tilted his head back and opened his mouth. "Ooh ladies~! There's a hot, fresh serving of man just waiting for you!" He called. While it was embarrassing and kind of stupid, the ladies should be drawn by his voice at least.

The back door flew open as Cerea stampeded out of it, followed closely by Miia and Papi. They caught sight of him quickly, locking on and turning to chase him down like a trio of women-shaped heat-seeking missiles.

As they came in range, Saul brought the hose up and opened f-water on them. He focused on Cerea first, as she was the fastest, the cold spray hitting her right on her bare chest, making her shriek in shock. Papi was next, tumbling from the air with wet wings, before he focused on Miia, who went down even faster than the others given her snake-like nature.

Saul quietly pumped a fist in triumph. "Yes. No death by snu-snu for this guy! Which I guess I should ashamed about on some level, but I'm really not." The girls were laying on the soaked grass, shivering from the water and cold night air.

A pair of bright yellow lights scythed through the darkness as a car rolled up the driveway, parking haphazardly before someone threw open the door and rushed out. "Saul!" A worried female voice called, and as the person passed through the light spilling from the backdoor, he could see that it was Smith, wielding a handgun.

The agent paused upon seeing the three girls laid out on the lawn, looking surprised in the dim light. "Um…"

Saul gave her a wave as Cerea clutched the tatters of her shirt to her chest, loudly wondering what had happened. "Took a couple of close calls, but I managed to cool them off." He said blandly, turning the water off. "What are you doing here?"

Smith hid a wince at the cool tone. "I was worried! You sounded scared on the phone, so I came over as soon as I could." She explained, brushing her still-wet hair out of her face.

"You didn't sound that worried when you hung up on me." He replied coolly, leveling a bland look her way.

The agent smiled sheepishly. "I was…in the bath when you called, and I dropped my phone in the water." She swallowed audibly. "Look, Saul…about tonight…I'm sorry."

He looked over her, noting the wet hair sticking to her face, and the fact that she wore shorts and a half-buttoned shirt, a far cry from her normal, formal wear. It looked like she had thrown on the first thing she could find in her rush to come get to him. He sighed quietly. "We need to talk about some things, Smith." He saw her drooping slightly. "But I do appreciate you coming to help. Thank you."

She smiled softly, nodding as the three girls wandered back into the house. "Dry off and head straight for bed." Smith ordered swiftly, brandishing her handgun. "If I see one person sneaking about, I'm fully loaded with tranqs and I will use them, clear?"

Saul stepped through the back door, locking it behind Smith, before making sure the girls went to their rooms. "I'm going to make some tea. Have a seat and when I come back…we'll talk."

Smith nodded slowly, buttoning her shirt up all the way. "Alright, Saul. I'll be here."

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: There you go. First a date, then some tension and some sexy stuff, with the promise of more to come! Variety!**

 **So yeah, all that happened. The date with Miia, then the small spat with Smith, which I hope wasn't overdone, and then the lunacy of the full moon. If you notice that the scenes with the girls feels less than consensual, that was done on purpose. They were forcing themselves on him, and he did not want to have sex with them when they weren't themselves. It's pretty much rape, and I hate rapists.**

 **If you've also noticed that in the previous chapters that Smith has been constantly warning Saul about not breaking the law or getting too close, you probably could've seen the problem Saul had with it. I hate it when my friends don't trust me, makes me question why we're even friends. Thankfully, I don't have many.**

 **What I'm trying to have Smith come off as is hardworking but overworked, instead of just comically lazy in the manga, because I think it makes her character more interesting, as opposed to just being a freeloading and lazy. She genuinely cares about her 'girls', the Extraspecies she coordinates for, and she wants them to be happy. In Saul's case, she knows the girls are happy with him, but she worries that they might get too close, and that would be bad…or would be, until now. Plus a secret personal reason.**

 **So yeah, that was it. I hope you liked it, and if you did, why not review? And even if you didn't, why not review as well?**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: So this is something I've noticed in those kind of fics where a bunch of people meet for the first time and all go around introducing themselves. Sometimes it can be done smartly, but most of the time it gets boring. Inevitably, there are some people who write them with the men and sometimes the women going, 'I dislike rapists' and the like, and that annoys me.**

 **It's one of those things that should be common sense, and not something you need to mention, especially not getting approval for it. It's like serial killers or child molesters or the author of** _ **My Immortal**_ **. No one likes them, at all, and it's common parlance that no one does. It's so common it's doesn't bear mentioning because everybody does and nobody is going to ask, specifically, if people like rapists, because they already know the answer is no.**

 **So stop it.**

 **Side note, multiple side pairings are still retarded. That is all.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~Soleneus**


	10. The Morning After

Smith sat at the long dinner table with a sigh, brushing her still-wet hair back from her face. Once she had fished her phone out of the tub and found it dead, she had rushed out of the bath and thrown on the first things she could find, grabbed her gun, loaded it with tranquilizer rounds and jumped in her car. She had been surprised to find that Saul had handled the girls' aggressively amorous affections amicably well, though she shouldn't have, in retrospect. Smith had enough of his randomly thrown-together dinners to know how resourceful he could be in a pinch.

The agent looked down at herself and balked, hurriedly straightening and buttoning her shirt; as it was, it bared a smooth expanse of her flat stomach and a good amount cleavage, neither if which was something you should be showing during a serious conversation.

She finished fixing her attire as Saul trotted in with a simple white tea pot and a pair of matching cups in his hands. He set them on the table with a dull clink, filling them and passing one to her, taking a cautious sip of his, watching her over the rim of his cup.

After a few minutes silence, broken only by the sipping of tea, Saul set his tea down and cleared his throat. "Smith, I want to apologize," he began, "I overreacted and I'm sorry for that. But, this is how I saw it: You don't trust me."

"That's-!" Smith tried to interject, only to have her cut-off be cut off.

"That's how it felt," he said simply, holding up a finger, "It felt like you don't trust me, despite the fact I haven't taken advantage of my position to make advances on the girls, even when most of them are more than willing to break the law to satisfy their desires." Saul paused in thought. "Except for tonight, where I was nearly forced into sex more times than I'm comfortable with, which is zero."

Smith sighed, rubbing her nose. "That's not how it is at all." She replied bluntly. "I care for the girls, and I want them to be happy, but, as Miia's original family made abundantly clear, our screening process isn't infallible, and the thought of what might've happened to her if they hadn't been caught still keeps me up at night. That's not to say that I don't trust you; I do, I just can't help but be suspicious."

Saul refilled his cup and sipped slowly, his calm blue eyes peering at her. He didn't react as badly as she thought, or at all. Smith feared he was bottling it up and preparing to let it fly as soon as she finished speaking.

"It really is nothing against you, Saul," she said quickly, "The girls are from entirely different cultures, with different and sometimes alien rules and traditions, and it would be really easy for someone to subvert their understanding. It's the way I see it, and that's why I'm cautious; not because _I_ think you'll do anything like that, but just in case."

"I know." He replied calmly.

"Look, it's _really_ …wait, what?" Smith started, before realizing what he had said. "You're not mad?"

"No." Saul said simply. "As I said, I overreacted. Once I had calmed down, I tried to look at it from the your perspective and came to the conclusion that you really worry about the girls. If I thought I was in the right, I wouldn't have apologized."

Smith breathed a quiet sigh of relief, slumping in her chair. "Good. I would-"

But Saul wasn't quite done. "But you need to realize something, Smith. I'm not a horny teenager who will try to hump everything in sight, or one of those stuttering fools who can't say anything around a pretty girl. I'm an adult, and I've been one for a long time." He blew out a sigh, sipping his tea like he wished it was alcohol. "Truth is, I never really got the chance to be a teenager. The way circumstances played out meant I grew up quickly."

The agent filled her cup, cradling it in her hands. "Is this about your time in that institution?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah," he replied blandly. He knew they had run a background check on him and had accepted it awhile ago. "Going through what I did…I could never look at the world the same after that. With how paranoid I was, I saw everyone as an enemy, even my own family. It's part of why I moved here. And the reason I overreacted the way I did is because, simply put, I trust you, Smith. And I don't trust easy."

Saul stared at her for one silent moment, and she got the feeling he was actually looking through her. "Why do you trust me?" she finally asked.

He shrugged. "There are a few reasons, I guess. You've always been upfront with me, even about having people watching me." There had been a note slipped into the agreement he had eventually signed, written in what he would come to know as Smith's hand-writing, reading: _All participants are subject to regular surveillance._ "And I know that you really care about the girls. If you actually were a lazy freeloader, I wouldn't have invited you to dinner all those times, or made you coffee or all that."

What most people would see as pure sloth, he knew as masked exhaustion and a possible caffeine addiction. Her sunglasses, while stylish and completing the 'Anonymous Government Agent' look, also hid the constant dark bags under her eyes. "I really do appreciate that, you know." She said softly, peering at him from under her bangs, a warm smile on her lips.

Saul winked. "And I just plain like you, Smith." He admitted with no shame whatsoever. "We get along well and I enjoy spending time with you. All I'm really asking is that you trust me." His unoccupied hand slid into the middle of the table. "Please. Just trust me, and believe that I have nothing but the best intentions towards the girls. All I really want is for them to be happy."

She slowly reached over and clasped his hand with hers. "I do trust you, Saul. And I know you want them to be happy. And, if I'm being honest, I like you too." Smith rubbed her thumb along the inside of his wrist, smiling. "Are we still friends? I don't have many, and I want to hold on to the ones I do."

"Of course, Smith." Saul snorted. "Friends fight. If I stopped being your friend over just a perceived slight, I wouldn't be a very good one, would I?"

Smith smirked, tapping his hand with her finger. "You have a point there." She said in agreement, before noticing his slight grimace. She examined his arm closer, noticing the deep pink marks blooming under his lightly tanned skin, noting that they were in the shape of a slender, feminine hand. "That's going to bruise."

Saul blew out a sigh, rubbing his wrists tenderly. "Yeah, that tends to happen when one gets handled roughly." He muttered, gathering his cup and the empty teapot and standing, Smith following behind with her own in hand. "I'm going to be all sorts of tender in the morning, but I don't particularly mind, given the alternative." I.E., a possibly crushed pelvis at best, possibly crushed everything at worst.

He washed the cups and the pot out quickly, drying his hands as Smith contemplated something. Course decided upon, she spoke up. "Sumike." She said without fanfare.

"What?" He asked, looking at her in question.

"That's my name." She paused in thought. "Well, family name, actually. My name is Kuroko. Sumike Kuroko, or Kuroko Sumike in English, I guess. I just thought, you know, since we _are_ friends, that you should know my real name and not just my Coordinator handle."

"Kuroko Sumike…" He muttered, as if testing the way the name sounded from his mouth and felt rolling off of his tongue. "Huh."

Sumike waved her hands frantically. "Not that you have to call me that. I mean, you can still call me Smith if that makes you comfortable." She didn't want to push any sort of boundary after the conversation they'd just had.

"No, I like it." Saul replied with a smile. "I like it. Sounds real. I did kind of wonder about a Japanese woman being named 'Smith'." He said, mostly to himself, before looking at her with warm blue eyes. "You know what friends also do, beside telling each other their real names?"

Smith frowned in thought. Did she forget something? "What?"

He held his arms out with an amused face. "They give each other hugs."

Kuroko arched an eyebrow at him, before shaking her head with a smile and stepping forward, wrapping her arms around his chest, leaning her head against his shoulder. She enjoyed the encapsulating warmth of being wrapped in a hug, rubbing her nose against the fabric of his shirt.

Saul sighed to himself, taking comfort from the warm body in his embrace. Seeing the way the girls had looked at him that night, with eyes full of predatory intent, a far cry from how they usually looked, had shaken him. Being viewed as nothing more than prey and plainly seeing it had been a very stark reminder that he didn't think he needed: They weren't human. He knew that. But they were also dangerous. And while he still knew that, it wasn't comforting in the least.

The hug was really what he needed right then.

Smith opened her eyes as a subtle metallic smell filtered into her nose, noticing the red flecks on the back of Saul's collar. "You're bleeding." She whispered, pulling away from him to tug on his shirt, showing him the evidence of his injuries.

"Ah." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head gingerly. "I think Rachnee might have cut my head…I guess I was so hyped up on adrenaline that I didn't notice until now. It kind of stings, actually."

Sumike shook her head and took him by the hand, leading him through to house to the bathroom. "I'll take care of it." She said, gathering the needed materials.

"I appreciate it." Saul muttered from his position near the bathtub, his head hung over the side as the agent filled a container with warm water and took sponge, gently washing the blood out of his hair. She patted his hair just to dry it a bit, before disinfecting the small wounds. As she wrapped a length of bandage around his head, he looked at her curiously. "Did you get to choose your name?" He asked out of the blue.

"What, Smith?" She replied. "Yeah, even though there aren't that many 'average' names to choose from. I actually chose it because it reminded me of a movie I really liked. Being 'Agent Smith' was too good to pass up."

"You like the Matrix?" Saul asked in amusement.

Kuroko blushed in embarrassment. "Well, yeah. I mean, mostly the first one. The others kind of got up their own ass with all the philosophy and religious imagery, but I liked them. Something wrong with that?"

"Why would there be?" He replied in confusion. "I have all three movies, the Collector's Editions, actually. I like the Matrix, too. I always thought having a coordinator called 'Agent Smith' was just a coincidence."

"Oh." Sumike finished his head and cleaned her hands, yawning widely. "Oh, god, I'm so tired all of a sudden. What time is it?"

Stifling his own yawn, Saul checked his phone. "Two-thirty in the morning. Damn, this night went by fast. Kind of." Then he noticed Kuroko panicking.

"I have work at six!" She cried frantically, fumbling with the door. "I have to get home and sleep as much as I can. Oh man, today is going to suck so bad…" She whimpered, banging her head against the wooden portal.

"Take it easy, Kuroko." Saul soothed, gripping her shoulders gently. "Just tell them you had to deal with an emergency and come in late. It's true, after all. And you can stay here for the night, if you want. And if you didn't leave anything on at your house."

"Apartment." She corrected absently, running a hand through her raven tresses with a sigh. "Are you sure it's alright for me to stay? I don't want to impose."

The author stared at her blankly. "I have the room." He said flatly, pointing down the long hall filled with doors. "Pick any room, and it's yours as long as you need it. Most are furnished, anyway."

Smith sighed again, quickly hugging Saul. "Thanks. Can I borrow a shirt or something? I've slept in button-up shirts before…it's not exactly comfortable." She asked quietly.

"Sure." He said with a nod. "Follow me." He lead her down the hall to his room, stepping inside and rummaging through his dresser. "Here we go." The author held out a light blue shirt with the kanji 'Average Citizen' written on the front.

"Thanks." She replied, uncharacteristically nervous. "Hey, Saul…"

Saul paused in the middle of pulling his shirt off. "Yeah?" He asked in a muffled fashion, peering at her through one of the arm-holes. He pulled it off and tossed it aside, grabbing another shirt, this one reading 'No One Important' on the front in what looked like the kanji version of comic sans.

"Can I sleep with you again?" Kuroko realized how that sounded exactly a second after it had left her mouth. "I mean platonically! Because the last time we slept together, I fell asleep really quickly and that would a good thing tonight, and it would be totally platonic." She rushed out, trying to backstep out of the room.

"Alright." He replied simply. "It's kind of weird going to sleep alone, and I don't mind the company. Though I should warn you, I am a cuddler."

Sumike gaped at his casual attitude, before shaking her head in amusement. She knew how casual he could be, but it still surprised her sometimes. Making sure he wasn't looking, she shucked her shirt and pulled his on before carefully climbing into bed and settling on one half, with about a foot and a half of distance in between them.

Both lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling in awkward silence. This wasn't how both of them thought it would go, laying away from each other all stiff and somewhat uncomfortable. The silence seemed to be building to a critical point, and just as Saul was thinking, _Fuck it_ and rolling over to cuddle with Kuroko, she thought the same and moved as he did, the two meeting in the middle of the bed with a surprised grunt.

Chuckling quietly, they settled together almost naturally, arms holding each other closely, legs intertwined. They could only be closer if they were naked. And having sex.

As she felt the world slip away in the arms of the man she called a friend, she knew: If this was platonic in any shape, Smith would eat her damn tie. And she couldn't bring herself to care.

…

 _I'm confused._

 _See, on one hand, I really like Rachnee. I like sleeping with Rachnee, hugging and kissing her, playing games with her, cooking food with her, escaping her traps so she makes that flustered face that I think is cute and holding her hand. And she's beautiful, exotically and dangerously so. In some ways, she reminds of a weapon, like a sword or a kusari-gama, something with a lot of sharp edges that was crafted by a master. Deadly and all the more beautiful for it._

 _She defies that look by being afraid of hurting me, or people in general, but it still stands. What I'm saying is, she entrances me. Draws me in like a whirlpool, asking me to throw myself through the turbulent whorls and join her in the eye, to plumb her secret depths and damn that sounds dirty._

 _But on the other hand, I like Smith - Kuroko. And I mean,_ really _like. We haven't done much together in a casual sense; I've run into her at the coffee shop a couple of times and bought her a drink and chatted with her, made her dinner and coffee and talked for hours some nights…okay, so maybe we have done some casual things. But not everything. I only held her hand and hugged her for the first time last night._

 _The things is, I think she's beautiful, and I don't just call any girl with mile-long legs, nicely rounded hips, a flat, toned stomach that leads to exceptional breasts and a heart-shaped face with plump, teasing lips that quirk up in that half-smirk, half-smile of hers that makes something warm and uncomfortably pleasant jolt in the region of my chest, or light brown eyes that seem to be begging me to open the door and discover all there is to know about the woman called Smith…_

 _FOCUS, DEWITT!_

 _It's not any of that, besides the part with her eyes. She's dedicated, smart, funny and just fun to be around._

 _It seems like there's a choice here. I may not be a genius, but I'm far from stupid. I've seen the signs. Kuroko is interested in me, just like I'm interested in her. But there's no way we could get involved. With her being my Coordinator, that would be a conflict of interest, and she could lose her job._

 _Not to mention what it would do to Rachnee. Choosing Smith over her would basically be confirming what seems to be one of her biggest fears; that is, her appearance is not desirable and I would rather be with a regular woman than an Arachne. And I really couldn't do that to her._

 _And that's what confuses me. It seems like there's a choice, between Smith and Rachnee, but there really isn't, actually. I see a future with both of them, but there isn't one for Kuroko and I. Even in a world where the Program didn't exist, I would never have met her, she's just too out of my league._

 _I hate being confused._

 _This, of course, all came about when I woke up with Smith in my arms, her faces inches away from mine. Soft snores issuing from her slightly parted lips, a peaceful expression on her face._

 _All I wanted to do at that moment was kiss her awake, damn the consequences. But, as I realized, the consequences would be vast and terrible and ultimately, not worth it. The only real thing I can do is be the best friend I can be to Smith._

 _A hot shower and some meditation clears some of the metaphorical dirt away from my tired mind, though I still feel anxious as I pull down the attic stairs to release Rachnee. I know she'll be feeling down after last night, and she deserves to know that I don't care how dangerous she is, because the fact of the matter is, I might be falling for her._

 _She's just not the only one._

 _But right now, she's the only one who matters._

…

As he stepped up the stairs to the attic, Saul heard the light sound of a breeze slipping through the open window. He found Rachnee in the exact same place he had left her, lying on her stomach with her limbs restrained, her head cushioned by a pillow. Even though he could see her slow breathing, he knew she was awake, listening to his every move. People who were asleep weren't that tense around the neck.

Carefully, he removed the bindings around her legs and arms, letting her slump to the floor with a quiet groan of relief as her sore muscles were released from the strain. Rachnee sat up quietly, facing away from him as she rubbed her wrists. Saul reached over and took one of her hands, gently massaging the soreness away with his fingers, but she pulled it away silently.

Clicking his tongue, Saul scooted around in front of her, only for her to turn away, her face shadowed by her hair. "Nah, none of that now." He said firmly, circling around and taking her hands. "No moping."

Rachnee blew out an incredulous breath. "Moping? Teenage girls 'mope', this is brooding." She corrected, before looking away. "Self-loathing brooding. Last night, I…I tried to, tried to…against your will. I don't deserve…"

Saul released her hand and reached out, gently cupping her chin and tilting her face up so he could look her in the eye. "You should also remember that, until it got too rough, _I_ was the one who initiated it, Rachnee. I wanted you, still want you. I don't know how many times I have to say it, exactly, but I'll say it all the same:" He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing the dark plating. "I want you, Rachnee. All of you. Sharp edges and all."

She curled her fingers around his. "I want you too…" Rachnee whispered. "But-"

"No 'buts'," The author interjected. "If you want me, Rachnee, you have me." Despite the warm smile that curled her lips, Saul noticed the trepidation in her eyes. It seemed words would only do so much. It was time for action.

He scooted forward on his knees and gently grabbed her face, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers before she could say anything. He felt her stiffen in surprise, heat swelling under his fingertips, and then her hands were clutching his back, her forelegs wrapping tightly around his waist as she pushed against him.

Breathing harshly, Saul drew back after a minute to take a breath, staring into Rachnee's surprised red eyes. She looked back at him with shining eyes, her mouth working quietly. Then, she leaned forward and kissed him hotly, pushing him down to the floor, her body pressing against his.

Saul felt the burning passion and warmth bleeding through her lips, felt her smooth skin of her jaw on his palms, and her silky lavender hair in his fingers. He was hyper-aware of her soft body touching his, her breasts pressing against his chest, her legs pushing his hips up against hers. The sensations sent electric arcs racing up and down his spine, his hands escaping her hair to trail up and down her back, tickling her spine and resting on her waist.

Rachnee drew back, panting from the lack of air, her face red. "Saul…" She whispered lovingly, one hand planted next to his head while the other traced invisible patterns on his cheek. Slowly, she became aware of the stiffness pushing against her abdomen, and a nervous smile crossed her lips. Rachnee carefully dragged her hand down his chest, her eyes finding his and seeing nothing but trust and affection in his blue orbs.

She reached his waist and gently wrapped her fingers around his arousal, hesitating when she felt him twitch in her grasp. Seeing her trepidation, Saul laid his hand on hers. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to." He murmured gently.

"I want to do this." Rachnee replied firmly, but her eyes flickered away. "But not…anything else…just yet."

She removed her hand and quickly wrapped it in her silk, shifting so that she wasn't lying directly on him. Saul pushed and shuffled his pants down just enough so that he was bare to the air, and Rachnee stared at his length in thought. It wasn't a foot-long monster like she'd seen in the hentai she had stashed in her room, but it was still somehow fascinating.

Her silk-wrapped hand grasped him again, his fingers digging into her hips as her fingers stroked over the heated skin. Rachnee noticed the way his eyes were beginning to glaze over as she slowly worked his arousal with her hand, enjoying the way his warm hands caressed her back and stomach, but she wanted more. She reached up with her free hand and pulled her shirt halfway off, leaving it dangling on one arm. "Honey…" She whispered, running her tongue along the skin of his jaw up behind his ear, making him shudder. "Touch me, please."

He turned and captured her lips as his hand trailed up from her hip, along her taut stomach to rest just underneath her breasts. Gently, he cupped her tender flesh, stroking her flushed skin with his fingers, rubbing her hardened nipple with the palm of his hand. Rachnee moaned appreciatively, marginally increasing her pace.

Saul buried his face in the side of her neck as his fingers dug into her, his body beginning to tense. "Rachnee…" He groaned, his breath coming in brief puffs. "I…I'm about to-"

Rachnee tilted her head and whispered in his ear. "Do it, Honey." Her husky voice reverberated through his brain. "Do it. Say my name again." Then she gently bit down on his earlobe, sucking lightly on the bit of flesh in her mouth.

"Rach…nee…" Saul gave a strangled half-gasp half-groan, his hips bucking as the pressure in his body was finally released.

Rachnee would've have been worried about the way he said her name if she hadn't found it so arousing to hear him say it in breathless pleasure. She watched in what was approaching awe as his arousal pulsed gently in her hand, his release spilling onto her fingers and his stomach.

The author panted gently as the overwhelming sensations began to fade, finding himself sweaty but very satisfied. He opened his eyes to see Rachnee cleaning the evidence of his arousal with a few tissues. He watched as she wiped it away, pausing at the very last bit as if thinking, before she shrugged and cleaned it with her finger, hesitantly sticking it in her mouth.

Rachnee blushed when she realized that Saul was staring at her in surprise. "Tastes odd. Not good, exactly, but not bad." She remarked, snuggling with him.

"What did you expect it to taste like?" He asked rhetorically, his hand stroking her back.

She shrugged. "Hopefully? Chocolate." She smiled at his dry look. "But since that seems impossible, I guess I'm stuck with 'not bad'."

He chuckled good-naturedly, pecking her nose. A question popped into his head. "Why do you have tissues up here?"

"Because I occasionally sneak up here to read dirty manga and touch myself thinking of you." Rachnee replied bluntly, smirking at his surprised expression.

"Huh." Saul grunted, nodding. "Alright then. Well, you won't have to anymore, Rachnee." He kissed her softly, his hand sliding down her stomach, stopping just above the junction of her legs, resting in a trim patch of silky hair. "I mean, you still can, but, I _am_ right here, and turnabout's fair play."

He gently pushed her on her back, directing his lips to her jaw and her neck, enjoying moans she made. His fingers slowly slid down to her center, gently rubbing her warm, slick folds. Rachnee gasped in pleasure as his mouth found a tender spot on her neck and he slipped a digit inside of her, stroking her walls as he trailed kisses down her chest, her fingers sliding into his hair to grip him tightly.

"Ah!" She groaned happily as he stroked a particularly intense spot and his lips closed around her nipple. Saul slowly worked his finger in and out of her center, making sure to rub the bundle of nerves above it as he passed, lathering her skin with his tongue.

Rachnee trembled as her arms tightened around him, pleasureable pressure building inside of her as he picked up the pace, returning to that point on her neck. "Saul…Honey, I'm close." She murmured into his hair. "Just a bit…more."

He slipped another finger inside of her as she gasped loudly and her walls clamped down around the intrusion, flooding his hand with wet heat. Rachnee clutched Saul to her as she bucked and writhed, before falling still.

Saul slowly withdrew from her center and found the tissue box, cleaning away the evidence of her arousal gently. "How was that, Rachnee?" He asked lowly, kissing just under her ear.

"Oh, Honey…" She groaned in satisfaction, stroking his hair. "So much better then when I did it. Nights are going to be _so much fun…_ "

She kissed him passionately, hugging him to her. "I'm glad." He replied softly. "I don't know about you, but I could use a shower…another one."

Rachnee's eyes lit up. "You, me, naked under a stream of hot water?" Her hand slipped down to grasp his hardening length. "Count me in, Honey."

…

It took nearly an hour, and more than a few orgasms on their part, but eventually, the pair got clean and descended to find…no one. No Miia flicking through catalogues, no Papi watching cartoons, no Cerea reading a book, no Yukio flopped on the couch.

Saul sighed, running a hand through his hair. _I figured something like this would happen._ He thought sadly. _Even though they weren't in control, they still feel responsible. I need to talk to them._

He opened his mouth, only to be cut off as Rachnee spoke up. "I'll get started on breakfast, Honey." She said, pointing down the hall. "You should go see the others."

Saul smiled gratefully and kissed her in thanks before heading away, coming to Yukio's metal door first. He knocked gently, stepping back as the door swung open, releasing a short wave of mist over his feet. "Good morning, Yukio. How are you feeling?"

She yawned briefly, before giving him a small smile. "Better, now that the moon isn't affecting me." She replied, ducking her head slightly. "About last night…I'm sorry I kissed you like I did. I wasn't in control of myself."

"It's alright. I didn't exactly resist." He admitted with an embarrassed shrug. "And it didn't get any farther then that, so it's all good."

"It almost did go farther." She whispered.

"But it didn't, and that makes all the difference." Saul replied firmly. "I'm not going to hold it against you, Yukio."

Yukio smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing with blue. "Thank you, Saul."

"You're welcome." He sighed ruefully. "Are you coming out to have breakfast? Rachnee's cooking, and I need to see the others." He turned to walk off, but stopped short when the Yuki-Onna snagged his sleeve. "Hm?"

"Saul…" She muttered hesitantly. "Would you…show me around town? Maybe tomorrow?"

Saul smiled and winked. "Of course, Yukio. It's a date."

Yukio smiled radiantly, pressing her cool lips to his cheek before striding down the hall, a little skip to her step. Chuckling to himself, Saul proceeded to knock on Papi's door. His answer was silence. Wondering if she was too ashamed of her actions to - _Nah,_ he decided, slowly pushing the portal open, finding the slender harpy sprawled out on her bed, dead to the world with drool on her pillow.

Shaking his head, he crept into the room and started to shake Papi. "Papi. Wake up, Papi." He whispered, making her shuffle under her blanket and groan.

"Hmmm…hubby?" She asked sleepily. "Wha?"

"It's morning, Papi. Breakfast is being made." He replied, running a hand through her feathery hair.

"Oh," She mumbled, slowly sitting up on her bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her wings. "Mornin' hubby!" She greeted cheerfully, nearly tackling him to the floor with a hug.

"Morning." He said warmly, hugging her back. "Breakfast should be ready in a bit. Why don't you go see what needs to be done?"

"Okay!" Papi chirped, skipping from the room as Saul shook his head. Evidently she didn't feel guilty about anything that happened last night, and truthfully, she really didn't have anything to feel guilty about. Sure, she had tried to catch him, but she hadn't laid a single talon on him the entire night, and besides being a bit of nuisance, she didn't really do anything.

Saul steeled himself as he approached Miia's door. She had done the most damage, really, and had gotten the closest to actually forcing him into sex. He contained a shudder at the memory of amber eyes, usually warm and lively, glinting with a lusty, predatory gleam, her hands like steel bands around his wrists, her long tongue pushing through his lips, her tail coiling painfully around his legs. _Well, I might have to see a therapist about PTSD. Again._

Taking a bracing breath, he opened his eyes to see Miia's door opening, the crimson-haired Lamia exiting the room. She paused in shock upon seeing him, her amber eyes wide before they filled with shame and self-loathing and she looked down. "Hey, Miia."

"Da…Saul." She greeted in a small voice.

"Listen, about what happened last night…" He started, rubbing his arm unconsciously. "It wasn't-"

Miia wasn't paying attention, her eyes fixed on his wrist; or, more importantly, the bruises there. Slowly, she reached out and grabbed his hand, stretching his arm out to fully expose the marks. Breathing heavily, she hesitantly held her hand up, gently wrapping it around the darkening flesh, her chest heaving with anxiety as they matched up perfectly.

Shivering violently, she dropped his hand and unconsciously hugged her body, almost folding in on herself as she shook, her face twisted in a horrified grimace as tears began to pool in her amber eyes.

"…Miia." Saul whispered painfully, seeing her look absolutely miserable.

The Lamia jumped at his voice, looking at him with streaks on her cheeks. "Saul…you need to get away from me." She murmured quietly, drawing away from him. "I - I'm a monster."

Saul stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame, making her start. "Don't say that, Miia." He said harshly, belying his warm embrace. "You're not a monster."

Miia weakly tried to pull away from him, her voice shaking. "I am! Look at what I did to you! I hurt you! I nearly…" She gulped audibly, her trembling gaining strength as she covered her mouth. "I nearly raped you…" She mumbled in horror.

He pulled away and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Miia, listen to me. You weren't in control last night, it wasn't you." He stated firmly, looking her squarely in the eye. "You. Are. Not. A. Monster."

"How can you say that?" She whispered ashamedly. "How can you even touch me after what I did? I can't - I won't put you through that again! I have to leave!"

Saul cupped her chin and made her look at him again. "Miia, look into my eyes. What do you see?" He asked gently.

Miia opened her mouth to answer, but was struck silent by the look of trust and affection shining in his ice-blue eyes. "Saul…" She mumbled, before bursting into loud sobs and nearly collapsing into his arms. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry…"

He shushed her quietly, folding her into his embrace and stroking her smooth crimson locks. "It's okay, Miia, it's alright. I know it's part of you…a dangerous part," She flinched at his words. "But a part nonetheless. A part I accept about you." He sighed deeply. "I won't lie and say that last night didn't affect me. To be honest, it scared the life out of me."

Miia shook, clutching at his shirt. "I know, Saul, and I'm so sorry. I'll do anything to make up for it, please-"

"But not entirely because of me." He interrupted, slowly dropping to his knees and rocking them back and forth. "I knew that if it actually happened, you would be crushed, and that we would've missed out on something that is really special between us."

Saul gently pulled away from her, cupping her face with his hands. "Miia, I still trust you and care about you. So please, listen to what I have to say. I forgive you." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, feeling her shudder beneath his lips.

"Darling…" She whispered thankfully, her tight grip on his shirt fading as her arms slid around his shoulders. "Thank you so much. I swear on my tail, this will never happen again." She leaned her head on his chest, sniffling occasionally.

"I know, Miia, I know." He retrieved a tissue from his pocket and carefully wiped her tears away, cleaning her face with the utmost care.

Miia sniffed, frowning slightly. "That smells funny."

Saul refrained from flinching. The tissue smelled funny because it was one that he had used to clean up Rachnee's juices. "It's been in my pocket for a while." He lied smoothly, subtly hurling it out the window. "Now, I want to see that beautiful smile of yours, Miia."

She pulled away, wiping her nose, and gave him a shaky but warm smile.

He returned the gesture, kissing her forehead once again. "There's my girl."

Miia flushed, her smile growing more genuine as they stood. The smells of cooking meat and coffee drifted through the house, making her stomach rumble. "I guess I'm hungry." She mumbled embarrassedly, slithering off to acquire food.

Saul watched her go, sighing as he turned back down the hall. _Hopefully, this goes easier than that. There's only so much self-loathing I can deal with in a day._ He knocked lightly on Cerea's door, getting a muffled affirmative.

He entered to find the centaur kneeling in a modified seiza, her forehead touching the floor with her arms beside it. He noticed that her bags had been packed and shoved to the side.

"Master." Cerea greeted him mournfully.

Saul rolled his eyes. "What are you doing, Cerea?" He asked in exasperation.

"I am awaiting thy just punishment, for I have failed my task, Master." She replied dutifully. "I know nothing can make up for my failure, and I anticipate thy rightly deserved punishment."

He huffed, shaking his head. "Cerea, stand up."

She shook in response to her order and her conflicting shame.

Saul cleared his throat, straightening up. "Centorea Shianus! As thy Noble Master, I command thee to stand and face Thy Lord!" He command firmly, making her jump up, nearly tripping in her haste to look at him. "Tell me, what did thou do to deserve punishment?"

"I failed to protect thou from the aggressively amorous attentions of my housemates, and my own self, My Lord." The last part came out as an ashamed whisper. "My devotion was warped by the full moon, and I nearly assaulted thy body with mine own! The stain of my shame shall never be removed from my soul, even though I beg thy forgiveness for my transgressions!"

"And what, my servant, should your punishment be?" Saul asked imperiously, folding his arms over his chest.

"Banishment, My Lord!" Cerea cried in distress. "There is no greater failure! I do not deserve to be in thy presence, let alone they house!"

He huffed in anger. "And who are you, Centorea Shianus, to declare thy shame? The nerve of my Servant! Is it not the responsibility of thy Noble Master to decide such things?"

The centaur bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry, Master! Please, forgive my impetus!"

"Thy transgressions are forgiven." Saul said haughtily, waving his hand commandingly. "Thou attempted to save me from the aggressively amorous attentions, even though thou knew of the danger, and for that, there is no shame to be given."

Cerea slumped in relief. "Master, thou are too kind, I swear-"

"However," He cut her off imperiously. "If thou desire punishment, then thy punishment shall be this!" He pointed a commanding finger at her. "Thou must embrace thy Noble Master! For thirty seconds straight!"

Cerea actually balked in shock. "B-but Master! It is so-!"

He arched an eyebrow royally. "Oh? Is my servant refusing her rightly deserved punishment?"

The centaur gasped in dismay. "What? No, My Master! I simply - I…"

Saul held his arms out meaningfully. Cerea gulped quietly, her front hooves tapping the ground nervously as she played with her fingers, glancing bashfully at him from under her blonde tresses. Eventually, she trotted forward and nervously set her hands on his shoulders, hesitantly tapping him with her nails.

Tired of waiting, Saul stepped forward and seized her around the waist, pulling her into a hug. Cerea gasped in surprise, before her arms settled on his back and she embraced him gently. _This…this is wonderful!_ Cerea thought ecstatically, her face turning beet red. _My master…so kind._

 _I'm glad I'm tall enough that my face isn't directly in her boobs._ Saul thought to himself, even though his chin was resting directly in her cleavage. _Wow, she is really warm. I know who's getting cuddles on the cold days._

Coughing lightly, the centaur tapped his back. "Er, Master? It has been over thirty seconds." She informed him shyly.

The 'noble master' (pffft) cleared his throat and stepped back. "Right, anyway. You're not going anywhere, Cerea. Like it or not, you're part of our family now. Unpack your bags and come have breakfast, okay?" He said warmly, patting her hand and making her blush fiercely.

"O-of course, Master." She replied, moving to her bags. "And, Master? Thank you."

He winked at her. "No problem, Cerea." As he walked away from her room, one thought dominated his mind:

 _MY SISTER MUST NEVER FUCKING FIND OUT ABOUT THIS._

…

Breakfast was finished as Kuroko gulped down the last dregs of her coffee. "Ah!" She sighed, smacking her lips. "Thanks for breakfast. I need to get home, change and get to work, but this was definitely the most relaxing morning I've had in a long time."

The group waved goodbye as the agent made to leave. "Hey, Smith, come over for dinner, okay?" Saul called. "We're going to have carrot cake for dessert!"

Smith popped her head back into the dining. "Wouldn't miss it, Darling." She said teasingly, winking over her glasses. The door closed distantly, signalling that she had finally left.

"Something between you two that we need to know about, Honey?" Rachnee asked with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

"Nah, not really." He replied with a shrug. "We talked last night, cleared the air. Everything's good between us." Saul cleared his throat. "Completely changing the subject, I need to go to the store and pick up some ingredients for dinner. Rachnee, could you start on the carrots around noon? I want to put the cake in the over before I start dinner."

Rachnee looked slightly surprised, before nodding in assent. "Alright. Why me, though?"

Saul gave her dry look. "Papi would forget what she was supposed to do three times before she mixed anything. Miia is a Lamia, who are known for having odd senses of taste. And Cerea really likes carrots. And Yukio is going to be doing some bath therapy."

Cerea raised her voice in protest. "Master, you can trust me with anything!"

He stared at her meaningfully, until she looked away, muttering apologies. "I would trust you with it, Cerea, but I need you to watch Papi. And stop calling me master."

"Oh." The centaur nodded in assent. "Very well."

Finishing off his tea, Saul stood from the table and kissed Rachnee's cheek, followed by Miia, Papi, Yukio, and Cerea. "Well, I'm off. I'll be gone for a few hours, so don't get too worried and leave the house or anything like that." He said warningly, looking at them from over his glasses. "If you really need to talk to me, my phone is on speed-dial. Alright, goodbye, ladies!"

He slipped his shoes on and was out the door in short order, leaving the house devoid of the male sex. As the others dispersed to do their things, Yukio waited until they were alone before she approached Rachnee. "Rachnera Arachnera, I want to ask you for permission to pursue Saul Dewitt as a romantic partner, and eventually, mate." She stared at the taller woman with serious, pale blue eyes. "What say you?"

…

…

…

 **A/N: Well, quite a bit happened this chapter. A lot of it was hard to write, but I feel I did pretty well. And before people ask, 'who talks that bluntly? That's so unrealistic!'**

 **Answer: I do. I talk like that. I just don't see the point of beating around the bush, especially when it can avoid more pain and confusion on both sides.**

 **So yeah, Saul and Smith hash it out and stay friends. He apologized for overreacting, told her why he did, and now their friendship is even stronger, and possibly growing into something else…? Who knows, really.**

 **Answer: I do. I know.**

 **And you get to see her real name. The Wiki has her as Kuroko Smith, but…that sounds really dumb to me. It makes sense, to me, that Government agents would want some sort of anonymity, thus using the name 'Smith', or 'Johnson' or 'Jones'. And I didn't want to use Sumisu either, because, well, I know Japanese, and knowing what I do, romanized Japanese words, i.e. Sumisu for Smith, fennikksu for phoenix, they all sound really, really dumb.**

 **And there's already a word for phoenix in Japanese. Houou.**

 **And then you got to see a some steamy content between Rachnee and Saul, some sexy stuff that's the precursor to more heavy stuff that will come eventually. I hope I'm growing their relationship organically, I really like Rachnee's character and I want to do the romance justice. Plus, a surprising question from Yukio! How will Rachnee react? What will she say?**

 **Hint: It's not what you'd think.**

 **And there was the pretty heavy conversations about the previous night, especially the one with Miia. One of the things that irritates me a bit is the way the manga handles the full moon. As I see it, if the girls had actually gone through with their instincts, they would've full-on raped and killed Kurusu, and it would have absolutely ruined them. To put it simply, there should have been** _ **way**_ **more trauma on both sides.**

 **Think of it like this: You have roomate you really like, and once a month, you try to rape them to death. How traumatized do you think both of you would be?**

 **So here, there was a lot of fallout. Miia actually might've ended up more traumatized than Saul, actually, but he can recognize that she wasn't in control of her body and forgave her for it. And the rest of the girls, too.**

 **So yeah, some heavy shit. To dispel some of that heavy shit, here's an omake, with an appearance by Neseg, of Waking Dreamer fame from NorthSouthGorem (who also did some editing):**

…

Saul sat at his table with a fresh pot of tea, sipping the hot concoction carefully as he closely examined a rather ordinary-looking piece of paper. Rather, it would be ordinary if not for the strange, runic circle drawn on the center. Runes were not his thing, but Saul was pretty sure they were occult in nature.

That, or he just wasn't good with runes.

Suddenly, the circle began to glow and hum, making the author back away cautiously, gripping the knife hidden in his sock.

Eventually, the light faded to reveal a person, sitting in the chair across from him. He was an average-looking sort, with pale but not unhealthy skin, short brown hair and sharp greyish-blue eyes. He would seem like an average person, were it not for the spade-tipped swaying tail behind him.

He didn't look surprised to be summoned and Saul sat back down calmly. "So," he said, taking a drink of his tea. "Are you Satan? And would you like some tea? I have jasmine."

The young man snorted. "No, I'm not. Actually, I'm a fairly new Devil. And no, water will do for me. Not…that great with hot drinks…" He glanced off to the side sheepishly.

"Alright." Saul stepped out for a moment and grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge, tossing it the sitting Devil casually. "So, if you're not Satan, who are you, exactly?"

"I go by Neseg," said the Devil, "As I said, I'm new. I'm…well, a servant for a much higher-level Devil. Besides, I don't think there actually IS a Satan. Lucifer, certainly, but that's kind of an office…"

"Huh." The author huffed with a thoughtful look that turned suspicious. "You're a servant for a higher-level Devil, you say? By any chance, would that Devil be a woman? And a hot woman, at that?"

The brown-haired young man opened his mouth, then frowned. "...What makes you guess that?"

Saul grinned victoriously. "So she is, then." He chuckled quietly, refilling his cup. "Well, I live with five women, four of whom are extremely pretty. They're part of a program, and their coordinator is also a beautiful woman. I don't know why, but I just got the feeling our situations are similar in that regard."

"Hm…sounds tough. I mean, I don't live with my master; she kinda lets us live the way we did before getting...picked up. I do live with two girls, though. One's an ex-nun and the other's my Familiar. My girlfriend also lives next door, so she kinda crashes on my couch whenever she feels like it."

Saul shrugged. "It's not that tough, really. They're not exactly prudes when it comes to showing off their bodies, not that I mind. It does make it easier to shower and such. If they were shy, I'd never wash." He paused in thought. "Wait…"

The devil chuckled. "Yeah, I can understand that. My girlfriend's a Fallen Angel, and she tells me that a great deal of her kind are like that too."

"Actually, what I was thinking was this: You live with an ex-nun, who is probably very attractive, and a…Familiar? Who I bet is also attractive, with your also probably attractive girlfriend living next door, while you're the servant of an attractive Devil." He listed.

"Don't leave out the other two girls in my group," deadpanned the young man, "They're fellow servants of mine. Though, one's a tad young to really be called attractive…don't mention that, though, or she'll put you through a wall."

Saul nodded. "Plus two attractive lady-servants. While I live with an Arachne whose favorite pastime is tying people up with her thread, a Lamia who fantasizes about being a princess, a genki Loli type Harpy, a literally cool Yuki-Onna, a Centaur who styles herself as a knight and calls me 'Noble Master', and regularly deal with a very attractive, coffee-obsessed government agent." He paused. "Do you ever get the feeling you're in a Harem Anime?"

"All the god-damned time," the man replied instantly, tail lashing, "In fact…besides the Yuki-Onna…that lineup sounds pretty familiar."

"Huh." The author sighed. "Well, you have to admit, besides the drama living with a bunch of girls brings, it is worth it, right?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely."

Saul grinned and held up a hand. "High-five?"

"Heh. Alright." The high five was returned. "So, since you summoned me, what do you want done?"

…

 **And there you go. Just to clarify, this story doesn't cross with DxD, just the omake.**

 **So, If you enjoyed, leave a review, and why not take a look at NorthSouthGorem? I myself follow…most of his stories. And if I like it, you know that you…might also like it. I guess. Maybe. I'm not you.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: About the institution and the PTSD hints…well, I did say this Saul is closer to reality than most.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	11. Hostages and Homestays

Her heels clicked loudly as she strode confidently behind a wall of SAT officers bearing riot shields that were closely watching a shop. Smith entered the hastily set-up tent with a commanding aura rolling off of her, making everyone inside look to her immediately. "What's the situation?" she asked without preamble

A thickly-built man with a mustache eyed her suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asked, "This is Government business."

Smith flicked open her wallet, showing her ID. "Agent Smith, Interspecies Cultural Exchange Program. What's the situation?" she reiterated, giving him a stern look over her sunglasses.

The man with the mustache sighed, running a hand through his hair. "About an hour ago, we received a call from some group calling themselves the 'Orc Recultivation League,' who told us they had taken hostages and were prepared to do anything to further their cause." He relayed with a shake of his head.

"And their cause is…?" Smith started.

"Er, well…that is to say…it has something to do with the shop they holed up in." He muttered with a blush, waving his hand in the direction of the shop. "That's all we know. We're waiting for them to officially make their demands."

The agent peeked out of the tent and felt her eyebrows slide up her head. "A dōjin shop? Seriously?" She asked incredulously. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the man. "You said they have hostages? Do we know who, and how many?"

"Not yet, and four," the man replied, taking a tablet from the table, "One cashier and three customers. We approached the manager of the store and he allowed us access to the in-store camera systems." He handed it off to Smith, who examined the screen closely.

She saw the four hostages tied up and gagged with duct tape, sitting together next to the check-out counter. One was a somewhat chubby fellow, shaking in his bonds. The other was a short male who had his white face buried in his knees. Another was a lanky sort with long black hair who curled up into a ball as an orc passed by, brandishing an AK-47.

The last hostage wasn't acting like any of the others. To be honest, he looked bored; though Smith couldn't see his face. As if he could sense being watched, the last hostage turned and gave the camera a supremely annoyed look.

Smith's eyes widened and her grip on the tablet made the plastic creak in protest.

…

 _How the fuck do I get in these situations?_ Saul thought in irritation, _I didn't get taken hostage every fucking day back in Seattle! Is this what it's going to come to? I mean, can't I walk down the damn street to buy a hard soda without being accosted by a fucking Tanuki or something!?_

He grumbled behind the gag around his mouth and shot a nearby camera an annoyed look. Could the police hurry the hell up? His arms and legs were tender and those orcs weren't exactly gentle when they tied him and three other guys up. It wasn't as cute when someone other than Rachnee tried to tie him up.

'Tried' as in he could get free easily; the only thing stopping him was the fact that the orcs all had automatic weapons and didn't seem averse to shooting anyone who tried to run. And he didn't know why they had taken him and the others hostage. They seemed more interested in reading dōjin than actually watching them.

They'd better hurry up. He had carrot cake to make.

Saul sighed and got comfortable, shifting his hands back to touch the groceries he had been carrying. _Good, my frozens are still frozen. Glad I brought the thermal shopping bags. Why does this shit happen to me?_

…

 _Exiting the store with my purchases swinging in my hands, I whistled as I walked. My attire didn't look too out of place, being a black vest with a hood, a long-sleeved blue shirt, tan cargo pants and my walking boots. All I did was wrap a few bandages around my bruised forearms, put on some sunglasses and now I resemble Johnny Cage pretty closely. All other people would see is a cosplayer going shopping, which is what I want. It's not an uncommon sight._

 _As I walked down the street, something caught my eye. 'Libido Dōjin and Manga'. Normally, I wouldn't go inside since I have the internet and can find everything in there on it, and for free if I was so inclined, but the sight of it and a comment from Rachnee made me think. Even though I feel we made up over the events of the night before, they might still feel bad. So, why not buy them all manga that they would like?_

 _I shouldn't have pushed my fucking luck._

 _Miia would like anything with romance, preferably with a princess and some sort of dashing rogue. Cerea would probably prefer something about knights or samurai being all dutiful and shit…I'm getting Samurai Champloo for her. Yukio would probably like something calm with light action. Papi…well, she'd like it if had pictures. It's not an insult to her, I've seen her 'handwriting', and I seriously doubt she can read._

 _Rachnee…well, she'd definitely like a dōjin. But it's hard to find a one that has the right balance of love, tenderness and people getting tied up, since it's either light, boring stuff, or the creepy, entirely sadistic type._

 _As for myself, I heard another volume of One Punch Man came out. As I said, I can find it on the internet, but I like having physical copies._

 _Searching through the aisles, I found the one I'm looking for quickly and grabbed another first volume for Papi, since I'm sure she'd like it, and Cerea's was easy to find as well. It takes a bit for me to find one for Miia and Yukio, since I generally don't read those, but I found a couple that look good, and the rating stickers are decent. Rachnee's is harder to find, as I expected._

 _Eventually, I found a balanced dōjin about a quiet young man and older, experienced woman who wanted a lover that would tie her up and make love to her. I might actually have to take a look at it later. I flicked through it, and some of the rope techniques they used really resemble the ones I've seen Rachnee use on Miia and try to use on me. Maybe the author was involved with an Arachne at some point?_

 _Whatever the case, it wasn't creepy and that's good enough for me. I was third in line to buy when the light from the windows was shadowed and the cashier suddenly went white. I turned to find six huge bastards in large coats with hoods over their heads standing menacingly behind us._

 _The leader, a red porcine-looking motherfucking son of a bitch, pulled his hood down, revealing his face and the tusks jutting from his lower lip, along with the AK-47 that clicked when he flicked the safety off._

" _Good afternoon, fellow perverts…"_

…

"Oh man, they have the newest addition of Sweetie Witch Mako-chan!" The leader crowed gleefully, snorting in joy as he held aloft a dōjin portraying an innocent-looking magical girl wielding a staff in such a manner that the viewer got a good panty shot.

Saul adjusted himself as he sat up, carefully clenching his hands and arms to stretch his muscles and the ropes. It was never fun to get a cramp while being tied up. He looked up as something clicked, finding the leader of the orcs bringing a megaphone up to his mouth, directing the sound outside of the shuttered windows.

"Ahem! We, the Orc Recultivation League, hereby demand that all mainstream erotic manga be changed 'Orc x Royal Knight'!" The leader shouted, his followers excitedly waving banners behind him. "On top of that, we also demand the cultivation of other such forms of the art, such as 'Orc x Elf', 'Orc x Courtesan', 'Orc x Sister', etc."

Saul felt his jaw drop, ripping the duct tape off of his mouth. _Are they fucking serious?_ "Are you fucking serious?!" He yelled from his position on the floor, uncaring of the attention he was drawing to himself.

The leader looked to him in confusion, before nodding. "Right! Furthermore, we also demand the cultivation of other such genres, such as 'Orc x Magical Girl', 'Orc x Office Woman', and 'Orc x School-teacher!"

"Are you serious with this?!" Saul shouted angrily. "You took us hostage for this bullshit? Do you know how many mangaka would _pay_ for the privilege of writing an Extraspecies-backed manga? Are you retarded?!"

…

Rachnee growled to herself, trying to fit her fingers around a vegetable peeler not made for other species in mind. Her long, spindly fingers could barely wrap around the hilt before poking herself in the hand, which gave her a tenuous grasp on the object at best.

After five minutes of fruitlessly trying to hold the peeler steady, Rachnee tossed it down on the counter before going at the pile of un-peeled carrots, sitting on the counter as if mocking her, with her bare hands, shredding the skins off of the orange vegetables with flurry of her sharp-edged fingers.

"Ha!" The Arachne crowed. "Take that you damn carrots! Who's better than who now?" She paused, realizing that she was talking to a pile of vegetables. "The carrots, because they aren't talking to an inanimate object like a crazy person."

Shaking her head, she looked up at the television in the living room, having turned it on for some white noise to fill the background, and felt her breath catch in her throat. A reporter was standing behind a line of riot gear-clad policemen in front of a dōjin shop. The woman was reporting on the situation, before pausing and putting a finger to her ear, listening intently. "Yes, we've just gotten reports that the situation has gotten worse. The footage you are seeing is live, though there is no sound."

The view switched to the inside of the dōjin shop, where Rachnee recognized the tied-up form of Saul shouting something at the large, porcine men. One nodded to another, who lightly smacked the author in the face with the butt of his gun.

"Honey…"

…

Smith hid her grimace behind a cool facade of ice as she set the tablet down, listening to the Chief of Police panicking. "We need to get in there and take them down!" He shouted. "It's getting worse! Damn the law, I will not allow any citizen to be treated like this!"

"There's nothing we can do, unfortunately." A chubby man with orange-blond hair shrugged helplessly. "Orcs are protected under Extraspecies law. It's a new law, so there are lots of loopholes that these orcs seem to be aware of. So, go ahead and arrest them. You'll lose your job for certain."

The chief clenched a fist and growled, ready to throw the laws aside. "Damn this." He muttered.

"Don't worry." Smith said softly, drawing all attention to her. "You won't have to lose your job dealing with this situation. That's why I'm here."

"You have a team capable of taking on these criminals?" The chief asked shrewdly, staring at the agent narrowly.

"I do." She confirmed. "For Extraspecies of human proportions, trained officers can handle the situation just fine; but for those like these orcs, they won't cut it. They have sharper senses and dangerous abilities. I have already called my team in."

Smith straightened her jacket and took a deep breath, watching the screen of the tablet. _Saul, don't do anything stupid, for your safety…_

…

Saul realized that shouting at his captors wasn't a smart idea, exactly, but he couldn't help himself. He had just finished his diatribe when one of the orcs hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle, making his vision flash white as pain erupted in his forehead.

Opening his eyes, Saul frowned in thought, finding himself not on the floor of the shop, but in a field of soft grass and flowers. A wide river flowed gently nearby, under a deep blue sky that was dotted with fluffy white clouds.

He sat up and looked around in confusion, wondering just where he was. Glancing at the river, he shrugged and looked ahead, only to jump back in surprise upon meeting a pair of blank, though curious golden eyes.

Saul blinked and found himself on the floor of the shop, before being hauled up and gagged again. Besides the pain his head, he was fine, all things considered. The orc must have hit him lightly.

He shook his head and watched his captors as they patrolled the shop. Though, two of them seemed to have gotten caught up in reading a manga. Saul could barely make out a soft rustle in the ceiling just as the leader's nose twitched, and he suddenly looked up and pointed his rifle above him.

Saul realized that whoever was in the ceiling was in danger, quickly reaching into one of his secret pouches in clothes and gripped a metal star, slipping his right arm out of the ropes around him and hurling it at the orc leader.

The shuriken whistled through the air, glinting in the light before embedding in assault rifle just in front of the firing pin, severing one of the springs inside the barrel and rendering the gun useless for shooting.

A quiet female voice cursed before she scuttled away in the ceiling. The orc leader looked at the metal star embedded in his gun with wide eyes, glancing furtively around and finding no one out of place. All of the hostages, even the mouthy one, were very deliberately looking away from them. "Kunoichi…" He breathed in surprise.

"Hey, boss!" An orc shouted, walking out of the back hauling a lithe female figure. "I found another one! She was hiding in a corner!"

Another orc gasped loudly. "She looks just like Sweetie Witch Mako-chan!" He yelled, holding up a cardboard cutout of the figure.

True to his word, the teenage girl was almost an exact copy of the character, down the halo-like ahoge and school-girl outfit. Though, understandably, this one was looking far more nervous than the cutout. She shivered as she felt the orc's eyes rake over every inch of her, heard their heavy breathing and barely restrained, lust-laden giggles.

The girl trembled violently as the leader licked his snout and grinned widely, before slipping her arm out the orcs' grasp and darted past them, slamming into the locked door and yanking fruitlessly on the handle. Finding it immovable, she ripped the long curtains down with strength borne of desperation and beat on the thick glass. "Help! Someone help me!" She screamed in fear, before going stiffening as the orc leader grabbed her from behind.

"Don't worry," He murmured, breath fetid and damp in her ear. "We're all gentlemen, here. We'll obey Extraspecies law."

Tears began to pour down her cheeks as she felt his wide hand grip her breast, something stiff poking her rear unpleasantly, his other hand grasping her face. "Let's have a little… _exchange_ …" The leader whispered, his tongue sliding across the skin of her cheek, his spit hot and thick, clinging to her. "In front of all these cops! Let's show them power of interspecies love!"

Saul heard every word from his position at the counter, and felt something inside of him, something that had been wound tighter and tighter as the situation advanced, snap almost audibly.

See, he was partially at war with his instincts and his training. His instincts told him to slip out and take the orcs on, even with the possibility of being shot in the equation. His training, on the other hand, told him to stay still and let events play out, drawing no attention to himself or his abilities, just like he was taught.

Saul flexed his arms and twisted his ankles, kicking his binds off of himself with contemptuous ease, hopping to his feet and seizing a length of rope as he sprinted towards the front of the store. _I never completed my training, anyway._ He reasoned, speeding out the aisles and leaping onto the orc leader's back, the rope clenched in his fists going around the porcine Extraspecies' throat like a garrote.

Saul braced his feet on the orcs' wide back and heaved on the ropes like a pair of reins, making the orc choke loudly. His large hands came up to his neck to claw fruitlessly at the cord cutting into his throat, his rifle clattering to the floor.

The orc leader stumbled around the front of the store, desperately trying to dislodge the human hanging off of his back. Saul grit his teeth and loosened the noose, only to elbow the orc in the back of the head and pull the loop tighter.

The other orcs had their guns pointed at the flailing pair, but were unsure of what to do. The choice was literally taken out of their hands as large rounds pierced through the glass windows and their guns, rendering them into useless pieces.

A concrete wall connecting to a nearby store cracked before exploding out into a cloud of smoke and debris. A large figure clad in thick, grey armor erupted into the room, tossing three of the orcs aside with ease before turning on bringing its fists down on top of the other two, smashing them into the floor.

One orc recovered enough to push himself up, but was driven back down as a feminine figure broke through one of the ceiling tiles and landed on his back, firing a pair of weapons at him. He felt several painful stings as tranq rounds pierced his skin and deposited their liquid load in his bloodstream. All he saw before blackness took him was rusty red hair and a flash of a sharp-toothed grin.

Zombina hopped off of the orcs' back and joined Tio as the ogress removed her heavy armor and set it aside. They watched in fascination Saul rodeoed the orc leader, who had slowed down and was stumbling. Slowly, the orc dropped to his knees, his face turning an unhealthy shade of purple, before falling on his hands.

Saul stood and hopped over the downed orcs' back, twisting in the air to wrap the rope fully around his target's neck and landing on his feet, pulling tightly. "I…hate…rapists…" he muttered through grit teeth, watching with cold eyes as the orc finally slumped to the floor, letting the ropes slip from his hands. He breathed heavily as the adrenaline began to fade from his system, turning to look at the girl as she tentatively approached him. "Are you alright?"

She nodded slowly, her halo-like ahoge bobbing. "I-I'm fine, thanks to you. You jumped on that guys' back to save me. Why?"

Saul shrugged. "Why not?" he replied bluntly. "I wasn't going to just sit back and let _that_ happen, not to anyone. Not when I can help. What are you doing in a store like this, though? There aren't any 'cons until two weeks from now."

His answer was delayed as Tio swept him up in her arms for a massive hug that had him sinking into her mountainous cleavage. "You were so brave Sweetie, jumping on that mean orc like that!" she cheered, hugging him to her chest much like a teddy bear. She paused, thinking. "Though, if you'd waited for another few seconds, it would've been taken care of…"

Saul shrugged as best he could in the situation, not at all minding his position as human teddy bear. "Couldn't do that, not when I could help," he muttered.

"Must be why you've got all those girls in your house," Zombina said with grin. "All that 'humble hero' crap has to draw them in by droves. I know I like it…if only because it's so fun to corrupt."

"I'd like to think it's my cuddly personality," Saul dryly replied, still held aloft in Tio's arms.

"In any case," Smith remarked as she stepped into the store, her heels clicking on the floor. A slender, black-haired woman with a single large purple eye hefting a heavy sniper rifle followed behind her. "Thank you for the help Saul, even if I would've preferred you didn't get involved in something like this. But, I can't fault you for wanting to help, even though it was all covered."

Saul frowned in thought. "What do you mean?" he asked seriously, slipping out of Tio's grasp to land on the floor, ignoring her whine of protest.

"Well, the original plan was to have Zombina get caught by the orcs and fake playing dead to give them a false sense of confidence while-" The explanation was interrupted by the orc leader shakily getting to his hands and knees, hacking as he slowly pulled the rope around his neck away.

"You-" he coughed harshly. "You can't do this…you're human, you can't hurt me…you're going to prison…"

Saul rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you saw 'A human cannot harm an Extraspecies person' and took it to mean you have diplomatic immunity, right?" By the way the orc's eyes widened, he knew he hit his mark. "Article B of the Extraspecies-Human Law, sub-section J: 'Any human who finds themselves under attack by a member of the Extraspecies unjustly is allowed to defend themselves to the full capability of the law.' And sub-section K: 'Any human who witnesses a crime being perpetrated by an Extraspecies person against a human is allowed to defend their fellow man to the full extent of the law'.

Smith arched an eyebrow at his verbatim quote. "You remembered all that?"

Saul shrugged carelessly. "I'm an author. I read shit thoroughly; _especially_ 40-page contracts." He then held up his wallet, pulling a slim stack of cards from inside. "Also, I made note cards, just in case I got in a situation like this."

The orc stared at him uncomprehendingly, until the girl dressed like Sweetie Witch Mako-chan strode up and kicked him harshly in the face, knocking him out. "Filthy pig," she muttered, huffing as her clothes began to peel apart into silvery strands of hair; underneath was a petite, childlike form, "You couldn't have been just a little quicker? I had to feel that pig's hands on my body…not that it was _my_ body, exactly, but still. Thanks for jumping in, by the way." Doppel directed at Saul with grin.

"Ah, Doppel," the author muttered, mostly to himself, "Right, because why would a girl cosplaying as a the lead in a dōjin be in a dōjin shop? So, you really had it all covered, then?" he asked, looking to the others for confirmation. Upon receiving it, he nodded and pulled off his sunglasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Well, I feel sheepish."

Tio pulled him into a large hug again. "Don't feel bad, Sweetie, you did a good thing!" she said comfortingly.

Smith nodded in agreement as Zombina led the other hostages out of the store, eyeing the unconscious orcs. "Well, I would say this mission for Extraspecies Operations: Neutralization was a success, ladies. And Saul." She added. "Now, since you were involved pretty heavily, the police will need your statement."

The author sighed and nodded. "Alright, but I hope it doesn't take too long. I have frozens." He peeked around Smith's shoulder, noticing the camera crew outside. "Is this on the news?"

"Yup." Kuroko said bluntly.

"Oh." Saul muttered. "So, they saw all…" he waved vaguely at the unconscious orc leader. "…that?"

"Yup!" Zombina replied cheerfully.

"..." The author looked directly at one of the in-store cameras above the door. "How many people saw that, do you think?" He asked calmly.

Smith thought for a second, looking at her watch. "Well, given that it was breaking news and it's about lunchtime, I'd say probably most of Japan." She said simply.

"…Well, shit." Saul sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My name's not going to be involved in the story at all, right?"

"Of course not." She assured him.

Saul nodded in relief, allowing himself to be led out of the building by Tio, to a clapping crowd of policemen and bystanders. He took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses, before bravely taking a step back and to the left, hiding behind the oni as she walked through the crowd.

The chief of police was a thickly-built man with a mustache and slicked-back black hair who sat him down at a folding table and gave him a stern look. "Now, while I can't officially comment the situation that just occurred, I would like to say thank you, as both a policeman and a father. Now, please describe to me what happened…"

…

Saul gave his statement was sent home in the passenger seat of a cruiser. As he rode along, the author glanced down at his bags of groceries, his mind flashing to the five women who had been in the shop. "Hey, do you mind if we make an extra stop?"

…

Rachnee threw the door open as soon as she heard the first knock on the wood, seizing an unsurprised Saul by shoulders and hauling him into a tight hug. "Saul, don't ever do that again!" she whispered roughly, her voice thick, "I nearly…when I saw that thug hit you…I was so worried…"

Saul dropped his grocery bags on the ground and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "It's alright, Rachnee. I'm alright. He didn't hit me very hard, and it was on the forehead." He knocked his head lightly with his fist. "I've always been told I have thick skull, though it'll probably still bruise. All the more reason to wear a bandanna and pretend I'm Solid Snake."

The Arachne chuckled quietly, dragging her fingers through his hair affectionately. "Don't try to make light of it, Saul. It took a lot of guts to do what you did." She kissed his forehead gently. "You were very brave, Honey." She tilted his head back and pressed her lips to his, pouring her feelings through the connection.

"I just did what I thought was right," he replied lowly as they separated.

Rachnee kissed him again. "Doesn't change a thing," she said, slowly backing out of the embrace, "I did kind of wonder how those orcs managed to tie you up when I couldn't, even after all those techniques I tried. It made more sense when you slipped out."

"Yeah, they didn't have anything on you, Rachnee," Saul replied with a smile, "I was trying to stay out of it, but, well…things happened." He brushed a hand through his hair. "Anyway, can you help me bring all these bags in? I have a lot of stuff for dinner tonight."

Rachnee looked over his shoulder, finding the front steps covered in plastic bags. "Alright. I'll deal with those. You should probably go see the others; they saw the broadcast too and I had to stop them from leaving."

The author gave her a narrow stare. "You tied Cerea and Miia up, didn't you?"

"Yup!" She admitted without an iota of shame. "Though, Miia calmed down when she realized Smith was on the scene. Cerea, on the other hand…do you know how hard it is to suspend a centaur from the ceiling? I actually had to make a pulley system with my webs."

Rachnee actually sounded excited, which made Saul smile and shake his head. "I'll go get her down." He leaned up and kissed her cheek gently. "Glad to be home, Rachnee."

She kissed him softly, letting him pass by her with his bags. "I'm glad you're safe, Honey." She replied, turning to the remaining groceries. "Now, how best to approach Smith about punishing those pigs?"

Saul stepped into the living room after depositing his load in the kitchen, only to be immediately tackled by Papi. "Hubby!" she cheered, snuggling into his chest, "Papi missed you!"

He chuckled warmly, petting her cobalt hair. "I missed you too, Papi," he said gently. As she stepped away, Miia threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "Easy, Miia, I'm perfectly fine, no lasting harm done."

"I was so worried, Darling!" She cried, hugging him tighter. "You could have been killed!"

Saul grunted in pain quietly, making Miia rip herself away from him quickly. He blinked at the sudden absences of clingy Lamia. "As I said, Miia, I'm fine," he said soothingly, taking her hand. When she drew away hesitantly, he frowned to himself, noting her response as Yukio stepped up to him.

"I am glad to see you whole, Beloved," she stated seriously, taking her turn to embrace him. "I would have been very put out to see you seriously harmed."

 _Beloved?_ Saul wondered. _Well, it's not like everyone doesn't have some sort of nickname for me._ "Well, as you can see, I am very much whole, so there's no need to be put out about anything."

Yukio smiled mysteriously. "Indeed, Beloved." She agreed, pecking his cheek.

Slightly confused, Saul turned to the last person in the room and resisted the urge to snicker. Cerea had her hands tied behind her back and a series of wide threads wrapped around her chest and horse half, and a makeshift system of pulleys attached to the ceiling. He tried not to laugh at the picture of the normally stoic centaur looking so undignified, but forced it down when he noticed her icy blue eyes were filled with ashamed tears. "Hey, ladies, can you go help Rachnee bring in the groceries?" He asked, waving them towards the entrance. "There's quite a bit out there."

Yukio nodded and herded the others away as Saul got to work releasing Cerea from her bondage, setting her back hooves down before the rest. The blonde centaur looked away in shame as he set her free, folding her hands in front of herself and fixating them. "The spider-woman tied me up." She said quietly. "I am so sorry, Master, that I was unable to assist you in battle. That treacherous woman bound me when I made to leave."

Saul reached over and took her hand, making her face go red. "Cerea, she wasn't trying to be mean. Not entirely. She could recognize how dedicated you are to me, and knew that if you came to assist me, you might have been injured." He comforted, making her look into his eyes. "You're tough, but you're not bullet-proof. And how do you I think I would feel, seeing my Noble Knight putting herself in harm's way for me?"

"But Master!" Cerea protested, "That's exactly what knights are supposed to do! They lay their lives on the line for their Masters, so that they may live another day! To deny me such honor, it is- it is nothing less than treachery!"

The author sighed. "Okay, Cerea, I'm not going to be talking all noble anymore. Listen to what I'm saying: I don't consider you my knight." The centaur gasped in shock, her eyes filling with hurt. "It's not because you've dishonored me in any fashion! It's simply because I'm not a Lord, much less a 'noble' one. And I don't want a knight, Cerea. I just want a friend, okay?"

She bit her lip in conflict. "B-but, how? All I've known is being a knight…to not be one would dishonor my family…"

Seeing her disturbance, Saul took her other hand. "Cerea, if you want to consider yourself my knight, you can, but that doesn't mean you can throw yourself into dangerous situations to defend me." He stepped closer to her, settling his arms around her waist. "I'm a big boy, Cerea, and I can take care of myself. Can you trust me to watch your back?"

Cerea drew back. "Of course, Master! I trust you with my very life!" She declared heatedly. "I would never betray you!"

"And I trust you to watch mine," he stated. "But, first and foremost, you are a part of this strange little family, alright?"

"I…" Cerea gulped audibly. "Alright, Master. I will accept your terms."

Saul sighed. "Just hug me, Cerea. I know you were worried, and I know you want to." He smiled to himself as she tentatively wrapped her arms around him. "You know, you're very warm."

She jerked back. "Am I burning you?! I'm so sorry-" She made to step away, but Saul just tugged her closer.

"I like it." He said bluntly. "It's very relaxing."

"O-oh." Cerea murmured, before embracing him again. "Um, Master?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we, perhaps, go somewhere? That is to say, somewhere where there aren't…other people?" She offered hesitantly. "Just us…alone."

"Why, Cerea, I didn't know you could be so forward." Saul teased, "Asking me on a date like this, while I'm in your arms." Her face went red and she made to pull away. _Should not have done that: backpedal, backpedal!_ "Of course I would like that, Cerea. I can't tomorrow, since I'm showing Yukio around town, but the day after that is a Saturday. I could put together a picnic basket and we could make a day of it."

Cerea blushed deeply, looking away while trying to restrain a smile. "I am glad, Master." She stepped away from him as Rachnee called from the kitchen.

"Honey, the groceries are in!"

"Alright!" He called back, before taking Cerea's hand and pulling her from the living room. As he entered the kitchen, he found Papi peeking into one of the bags curiously. "Okay, ladies, I need your help. I'm making a big dinner tonight, and I'll need all the hands I can get. I see the carrots have been shredded, that's good. Yukio, I want you, Cerea and Miia on chopping duty. Rachnee, we're going to get started on the cake. Papi…"

The cobalt harpy saluted. "Yes, hubby?"

He solemnly took her hand and patted it. "Be my spirit animal. And also, stirring duty." Saul clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get down to it!" Before he could start, the author pulled a draw open and retrieved a white bandanna decorated with cherries, folding it into a rope and tying it around his forehead.

They separated out into groups with Cerea, Yukio and Miia peeling and chopping various items, such as onions, peppers, celery, okra and tomatoes. The Lamia dealt with chicken, shrimp, sausage, clams, mussels and scallops.

Saul and Rachnee measured and poured flour, salt, sugar, vanilla and eggs while Papi clutched a long wooden spoon in her wings and stirred happily.

Within ten minutes, they had mixed in the shredded carrot and shoved the 3'x3' cake into the oven and set the timer. The other girls had finished cutting, and Saul directed them to cook the meat and vegetables in a wide skillet while he poured flour, milk, butter and spices into a cast iron skillet.

As the mixture began to bubble, the author stirred and stirred the mixture for ten minutes on end, the pasty white color darkening to tan, then dark brown and rusty red. Quickly, he transferred the red reux into a large pot filled with bubbling water and mixed them together, adding in the cooked items and topping it with a lid; but not before scooping part of it out and adding only vegetables to it.

There was still nearly an hour left before the cake would be checked, so Cerea and Miia began to clean the used dishes as Yukio cleaned the counters, allowing the others to begin mixing together the frosting for the cake.

…

Thirty minutes later, the tired group sat around the table, the aromas of bubbling stew and baking cake mingling pleasantly in the air. "Good job, ladies." Saul said with a tired smile. "That would've taken me hours to make by myself."

Miia gave him a grin. "Glad to help, Darling. It smells really good."

He snapped his fingers suddenly, reaching under the table and pulling the last grocery bag. "That reminds me, for whatever reason. I picked up a few things for you girls. I think you'll like them." Saul passed out the manga to general cries of delight.

Rachnee sidled up to him as the others flicked through their new books, holding her hentai. "How forward of you, Honey, getting me such a gift." She teased, leaning on his shoulder and opening the book to a certain page. "Are you saying you want me to do this to you?" She whispered in his ear, before changing it to another. "Or, maybe, you want to do this to me?"

Saul swallowed thickly, his throat feeling tight for some reason. "Well, I mean…that is to say…if you wanted to, I wouldn't mind doing that to you." He slipped it back to the other scene. "Or you doing this to me."

Rachnee drew back in surprise. "Really?" She asked, nonplussed. "You would do that? For me?"

"Of course, Rachnee." He said with warm smile. "I trust you."

The Arachne was struck silent by his quiet statement, her hands trembling as she was unsure of how to react. She was saved, in a manner of speaking, by the timer going off. Saul stood and kissed her cheek before leaving to check on the cake.

Finding it to be done, he set aside and stirred the stew. "Dinner's just about done." He said to himself. As if on cue, the doorbell chimed and Saul went to answer it, finding Smith standing on the landing. As he expected, she wasn't alone, for standing behind her were the four members that made the Extraspecies Operations: Neutralization (or EON).

"Hey, Honey." Sumike greeted him with a sheepish smile. "I said I wouldn't miss dinner, and it seems neither would they." She gestured over her shoulder to others. "I hope it's not too bad of an imposition?"

"Nope. In fact, you're just in time to set the table for dinner." He grinned at her surprised expression. "I figured they would come with you, so I made extra." _Ah, this is true satisfaction. Doing something that surprises someone so much they get struck speechless._

Zombina cheered and strutted into the house. "Sweet! And I can smell meat, too!"

Tio ducked under the doorway and hugged Saul to her chest. "We meet again, Sweetie!" She said happily, before sniffing his hair. "Ooh, you smell like cake."

"It's impolite to sniff people, Tio." Manako, the Cyclopean sniper muttered lowly. "And it's kind of weird."

"Ah, don't be a downer, Mana-chan." Tio frowned, setting the author down. "And it's not weird if they don't mind!" She paused in thought, before leaning in and whispering to Saul. "You don't mind, do you Sweetie?"

Saul found himself smiling in amusement at the adorable oni's slightly worried expression. _She's too cute._ "No, I don't mind, Tio. Just as long as I don't smell bad."

"Ha!" She crowed triumphantly. "See, Mana-chan? Not weird!"

They followed after Smith, leaving Saul and Doppel the only ones in the foyer. Doppel wasn't, as the name implied, a Doppelganger; while she could take other people's forms, she was actually a shapeshifter than any sort of clone. Her long, winding silver hair served as the transformative aspect, wrapping around her body and forming into whoever she wanted to be. In her usual form, she had the appearance of a pre-teen girl with mocha skin and light golden eyes.

"You know, I bet you would've jumped in quicker at the shop if I looked like Rachnera." She said with a grin, her hair writhing and shifting into a copy of Rachnee. "Oh Saul, help me! These terrible orcs are threatening me!"

The author arched a bland eyebrow at her. "I know that was supposed to be mocking and all, but you didn't sound like Rachnee at all." He said dryly, shaking his head.

Doppel frowned for a second, before grinning and slipping around Saul, draping herself on his shoulders. "Hey, Honey. Why don't you and I sneak away upstairs and…" She licked his cheek, " _explore_ each other some more?" She asked, before nibbling his earlobe.

Saul couldn't stop the pleasant tingle racing down his spine. "Alright, that was more Rachnee." He admitted with a nod. "But, dinner's ready and I don't want it to burn." Then, he walked away with a stoic face.

Doppel huffed and returned to her usual form. "The whole 'stoic facade' can't last forever, you know."

Saul served up heaping bowls from the pot, passing them around the table. The serving for Cerea was taken from the separate pot. "This one doesn't have any meat in it." He told her quietly. "I know you can't eat it."

"Thank you, Master." She replied gratefully, sniffing the spicy scent wafting from the bowl.

After the last dish was filled, Saul sat at the table and grabbed his spoon. "What are you waiting for? Dig in!" That being said, he filled his spoon and shoved it in his mouth, chewing slowly as he leaned back with eyes closed and look of contentment on his face. _Just like grampa used to make…_

At the sounds of pleased groans, he opened his eyes and found the gathered ladies enjoying the food with very pleased expressions. "Oh Darling, this is _so_ good…" Miia moaned in an almost sexual fashion. "What do you call it?"

"It's jambalaya." He answered around a mouthful of stew. "But not just any jambalaya, my grampa's Loaded Jambalaya. Though, I couldn't find crab, craw-dads or oysters, so it's not Fully Loaded. He gave me the recipe last time I saw him, and it's been about a year since I made it last."

Zombina swallowed noisily, licking her spoon. "It's not as spicy as I like, but it's tasty." She added as she took another bite.

"I don't how you all like your spicy dishes, so I went with mildest recipe." Saul replied with a shrug. "Not everyone can handle heat," he gestured to Papi, whose face was red as she chugged a glass of milk. "But, if you want, I can make you my Punch-in-the-mouth jambalaya."

The undead woman arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh? What's in it?" She asked with a full mouth.

The author took a sip of his milk. "Same recipe, but I cook the meat and vegetables in chili oil, add cayenne and diced chiles, and pour a measure of spiced rum into it while it cooks." He grinned in fond remembrance. "It's about the closest I've ever gotten to actually breathing fire, besides the time I tried phal. And that one other time."

They chatted and ate happily, the girls getting to know the EON group a little more. Awhile later, Kuroko's phone rang, and she answered it with a frown. She got up from the table to get some silence, but peeked back around the entry and beckoned for Saul to follow her.

Arching an eyebrow in question, he folded up his napkin and followed after her. They stopped just outside of the door, Smith turning her phone's speaker on. "We're here, Agent Anderson. What's the situation?" She asked seriously.

" _A petition for relocation was accepted today."_ A bored-sounding man answered, the shuffling of paper crackling through the speaker. " _It's for one Harpy named 'Papi'. I understand, Mr. Dewitt, that she is one of your current homestays?"_

"That's correct." Saul replied slowly. "Can you tell me who? And why they want to relocate her?"

" _Are you not going to fight it?"_ The other agent asked curiously.

The author sighed and rolled his eyes. "That depends on who's asking to relocate Papi."

" _Mm."_ Anderson hummed, papers rustling on the other side. " _Well, I can't read one signature, it looks like an 'X', maybe. The other is Keigo Takeda, the chief of police, who are her mother and father, respectively."_

Eyes wide in surprise, Saul found Smith with the same expression. "Her mother and father want her to relocate? Does it say why?" Smith asked.

" _Something about…wanting to spend some time together as a real family. 'Current events have made me realize how dangerous life can be', blah blah blah, something like that. So, are you going to fight the petition, Mr. Dewitt?"_ The other agent asked finally.

"…Shouldn't Papi have the final say?" He replied after a minute's thought.

" _As she is seventeen and still a minor, technically, no. I have to warn you, Mr. Dewitt, that if you decide to fight the petition, it is very unlikely that anyone will rule in your favor. Both her father and her mother have signed it, and you are just her homestay."_ He warned in a bland tone of voice.

"I see." Saul said quietly. "I'll let her know. When are they coming to pick her up?"

A minutes' silence passed. " _You're not going to fight it?"_ Anderson asked in surprise.

"Fight what, a hopeless battle?" The author replied bitterly. "No, I'm not fighting it. If it some random stranger, I would, but these are her parents. When are they coming to pick her up?"

" _Well, with you answering positively, tomorrow. Probably in the morning."_

Saul sighed heavily. "Alright." He turned on his heel and strode back into his home, his face expressionless. Leaning into the dining room, he waved to catch the cobalt Harpy's attention. "Hey, Papi, I need to talk to you about something."

Papi had just downed the last of her jambalaya, nodding with her mouth full. "Okay, hubby!"

He waited for her, then gently took her by the wing and led her to her room, sitting her down on the bed. "Listen, Papi, we just got a call."

"From the terminators?" She asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Yeah, them." Saul rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Your parents want you to come live with them, and they pushed the documentation through today. They're coming to get you tomorrow."

Papi gazed at him questioningly. "What does that mean? Are Papi's parents coming to live here?"

The author swallowed uncomfortably. "No, Papi. You are going to live with them." He bit his lip in preparation.

"Wait…" The harpy started, "Hubby's saying that Papi's leaving?" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Hubby wants Papi to go away?!"

He quickly grabbed her wing, stroking her feathers comfortingly. "No, Papi, not at all. Just that your parents want you to be a family with them. It's not like you're moving to the other side of the world; in fact, you'll probably live in the same prefecture. You can visit all you want."

"But…" Papi sniffed, "But Papi won't get to stay with Hubby anymore! Papi wants to stay, she doesn't want to go!"

Saul sighed. "I'm sorry, Papi. There's nothing I can do." Seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks, he pulled her into a hug. "It's not all bad. As I said, you can visit whenever, and you'll be living with two people who love you enough to want you to live with them."

She sniffled, rubbing her face against his shirt. "Hubby swears Papi can still come see him?" Papi asked quietly, "Papi doesn't want him to forget her. I know that I don't remember good, and she doesn't want to forget you, either."

"I swear, Papi." He murmured, kissing her forehead softly. "My home will always be open to you."

Papi hiccuped and buried her face in his shoulder, and he held her tightly.

…

Twenty minutes later, they emerged from her bedroom, the harpy still drooping sadly. As they entered the dining room to find everyone else waiting around the table, Doppel spoke up. "Oh? Leaving dinner for a 'fowl' little quickie, are we?"

Papi drooped even further. "No." Saul said shortly. "We just found out that Papi's parents petitioned for her to come live with them, and it was accepted. She's leaving tomorrow."

There several shocked gasps around the table. "Really?" Miia asked sadly. Excitable or not, Papi had made a place for herself in their little family.

"Yeah." He answered sadly. "But now is not the time to be sad. We should celebrate the times we've had together. I'll go get the cake, then we can play games all night. Would you like that, Papi?"

The cobalt harpy perked up a little. "Papi would like that." She agreed, taking her seat.

Saul frosted the massive carrot cake before slicing it and serving it on little plates. One good thing about making so much: there were leftovers.

The cake was accepted with good cheer and moans of delight. Cerea and Tio, in particular, looked as if they were about cry from the mixture moist, chewy cake and sweet, heady and thick frosting mixing with the lingering aftertaste of spice from dinner.

Once they were done, with every crumb consumed and the last bit of frosting licked from the plates, they moved into the living room and got down to playing party games. Papi was in the thick of it, cheering and laughing as they played long into the night.

Hours later, all activity had wound down to a crawl. Zombina was sprawled out on beanbag, snoring loudly, while Doppel was sleeping on one end of the couch, an H.P. Lovecraft book covering her face. Tio took up the other end (and most of the middle), cuddling an uncomfortable-looking Manako like a teddy bear. Smith had taken an armchair and was sleeping quietly, her jacket being used as a makeshift blanket.

Cerea had long since retired for the night, and Yukio had followed soon after, giving Saul a lingering kiss on the cheek. Miia and Papi had eventually fallen asleep on the floor after exhausting themselves, leaving only Rachnee and Saul still awake.

"I'm going to get ready for bed, Honey." She said after a yawn, walking down the hall to their room after switching off the television and the game systems. "Don't be too long, okay?"

He stretched and yawned widely, feeling all of the day's events piled on his shoulders. "Alright, Rachnee, I'll be up soon. I'm just going to get some blankets for our guests." He followed her to the linen closet and held out his arms, letting her pile blankets and pillows on him.

Walking back out, he set the pile on the table and replaced Kuroko's jacket, slipping a pillow under her head. He then covered Doppel and Zombina, but paused upon seeing Manako still awake, reaching out to him with pleading look in her eye. Saul debated on the merits of sacrificing the sniping Cyclops to Snuggle'thulu, but in the end, he decided to help her.

To that end, he hugged a pillow until it warmed up, then had Manako push herself away from Tio while he slipped the cushion in behind her. Then, he grabbed her hands and slipped her out of the oni's grasp. She thanked him quietly, before heading to a free room for the night.

Saul covered Tio with a blanket, standing over the sleeping Harpy and Lamia. With a sigh, he knelt and gathered Miia in his arms, her head lolling against his shoulder, and lifted her up. He grunted under weight and staggered down the hall, but made sure to not wake her. He pushed her door open with his foot and set her on her bed, tucking her in and making sure her tail was fully inside the room. Looking down at her sleeping face, he brushed a crimson lock of stray hair away from her face, before softly kissing her cheek. "Sleep well, Miia."

He returned to the living room and scooped Papi's sleeping form up, and it was no surprise to him that she was far lighter than Miia, given that she didn't have an eight foot-long tail made of mostly muscle and bone. Saul carried her to room and set her down gently, bringing her blanket up and tucking it around her.

"…Hubby?" She whispered sleepily.

"Hey Papi," He replied, kissing her forehead. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

Papi snuggled into her pillow, her eyes slowly closing. "'Kay." She said, falling back asleep in a second.

Saul ran his fingers through her hair one more time before leaving and closing the door behind him. Entering his room, he found Rachnee standing next to his bed in her sleeping clothes. Without a word, he crossed the room in two quick strides and kissed her hotly, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"So much shit has happened today," he whispered tiredly, resting his head against her shoulder.

She ran her hand through his hair, pressing light kisses to the side of his neck. "It'll be better tomorrow, Saul," she replied quietly, carefully maneuvering him around to push him on the bed. Rachnee tossed a slim lasso of silk at the light switch and pulled it down, plunging the room into darkness. "Just fall asleep, safe in my arms."

Saul stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, silently marveling at the feel of her skin. "Goodnight, Rachnee." He said, kissing her once more, before laying his head down and letting sleep wash over him.

…

…

…

 **A/N: And that's chapter eleven of The Life (With Monster Girls). It's quite the long one, sitting at around 10k words. Longer than my usual chaps, but then again, I meant to publish it last week, so take the extra length as a bonus for my procrastination.**

 **So, the two big things in this chap: The making of the long-awaited carrot cake, and the delicious-sounding jambalaya. Just kidding, I mean the hostage situation at the Dōjin shop and the other big thing: Papi leaving.**

 **Yes, I'm going to follow through with it. Is it partially because I, being as I am, do not like loli? Yes, partially. But the other part is that since Saul is much like myself, I can't view Papi as anything other than a little-sister figure, body- and mind-wise. I just don't find children, or adults with the minds of children, attractive. I just don't.**

 **And, as this does not have Kurusu as the MC and Saul is not him, he acts differently during the hostage situation; notably, jumping on the orc leader's back and choking him out with a rope.**

 **Just to be even more clear: I hate rapists. I detest them. And I don't like how many of the situations in the manga seem to head that way before something or someone intervenes at the last second, and it's rarely Kurusu. Besides the few times he's actively hit someone, the man is pretty much a bystander in the action. Given that it's a slice-of-life manga, that's not too bad, but it still stands.**

 **Also, EON, also known as MON. I always wondered why they called themselves "Monster" Ops, since no one refers to Extraspecies as anything other than 'Extraspecies' or 'Liminals'. It only really shows up in the title and one song, I think. And given the fact that the team is made up of mostly 'monsters' I think they'd rather prefer to not be called that.**

 **Hence: Extraspecies Operations: Neutralization, or, EON. Plus, it's an actual word. 'Mon' is just kind of silly. This way, they end up sounding like something out of James Bond film, and the way I've characterized Smith, I think she'd appreciate that.**

 **And once more, thank you to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7 for editing and whatnot. Why not check them out? Or do you want me to feel bad?**

 **:'(**

 **Omake-Over continued, featuring NorthSouthGorem:**

"What kind of things can you do?" Saul asked the Devil sitting across from him curiously. "Not anything that requires virgin blood, hopefully, because you'd be out of luck."

"Hm?" Neseg glanced up from his glass. "Nah, nothing like that. Devils have a pretty easy time with magic, actually, but I haven't learned too much. I _can_ do this, though." A flicker of pink sparks passed over the drink in his hand, turning the liquid orange and fizzy.

The author arched an eyebrow in surprise. "You can transmute liquids _and_ start a rave? Nice." He shrugged and took a sip of his tea. "What is the most you're capable of, wish-wise? Say, if I wanted to rule the Earth and all the Heavens (not that I do, mind), could you do that?"

The Devil snorted. "Hell no. I don't think _anyone_ can get that granted for them. If a Devil could give you absolute dominion, they'd have wiped out the Angels and such already. Besides, one of the other Pantheons might get mad if a mortal gets too 'uppity.' Gods are sensitive like that."

"What if I wanted to make myself eight feet tall and turn my hair purple?" He retorted.

"Oh, that I could do. Not permanently, though; my changes only last so long before reality reasserts itself."

Saul hummed in thought. "So, it really comes down to what I want at the moment, and not forever, yes?" He asked shrewdly.

"If you want me to alter something, yeah. My power is pretty heavily based on dreams; sooner or later, it's going to disappear," Neseg answered.

"Hm." He wondered. "How long do you have before you get desummoned?"

The young Devil shrugged. "Beats me. It seems to be pretty 'smart' about it, so I'll probably get called back once you're done with me."

Saul peered at Neseg with narrow eyes. "How good are you at FPS's?"

Neseg blinked. "I like to think I'm not _completely_ terrible. Why?"

He grinned widely. "My friend, we are going to need chips, drinks and possibly stress-relieving drugs. We are going to do the King's Fall."

"...The what?"

Saul gestured at the wide TV in his living room. "I can split-screen two systems at once, and I have two PS4's. You can use my sister's account, since one of those is hers, or you can create your own, if you want. But that's my wish: to complete the King's Fall raid in Destiny."

Neseg grinned slowly. "Oh…Destiny, is it? Always wanted to play that. I'll do my best!"

"Well then…Let's Play."

…

 **Thanks again to NorthSouth.**

 **Now, if you liked the chap, why not review and let me know? I'm not saying it would make me happy or anything, but…no wait, that's exactly what I'm saying.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: Tio is too fucking cute. I really like her personality, so you'll probably see more of her in the future. Just a warning.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	12. A Departure and a Date

The occupants of the Dewitt household, sans the EON group with the exception of Tio, stood in silence, watching the world outside of a large window. They were waiting in anxious quiet for the car carrying Papi's parents to arrive and spirit the young Harpy away from them. Normally, this would've been a somber affair, but the hopeful look on Papi's face made the atmosphere less sad and more accepting.

Saul had his arm around Papi as she leaned against his chest, her wings wrapped around him. He would periodically kiss her cobalt hair and give her a small squeeze, and she would hum happily and snuggle against him. One would expect there to be tension between them, but there wasn't; it was all due to a talk they had earlier that morning.

Tio, standing behind the group, gasped and pointed as large black car with darkly tinted windows rolled into the driveway. "They're here!" She bit her lip anxiously, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

Saul stared at the car containing Papi's parents as it entered his parking spot, the sunlight reflecting off of the windshield and directly into his eyes, making him close them uncomfortably.

…

 _I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Rachnee's sleeping face. I_ would _like to say that, but the truth is, the first thing I saw is the first thing I've seen since Rachnee started sleeping with me: that is, the ceiling, framed on one side by her lavender hair. My hands were resting on her back, just above her rear, and her face was resting in the crook my neck. I could feel her breath tickling the skin of my collar, feel her breasts pressed against my chest. Since the law was repealed for us, we been sleeping together in less clothing; that is to say, I'm wearing my pajama pants, she's not wearing anything, not that I mind in the slightest._

 _That's another thing Rachnee's been doing since we started sleeping together. She doesn't just sleep_ with _me; she sleeps_ on _me, like she's trying to take the place of my blanket by covering my body with her own. Again, I don't mind at all. I love it, in fact, because I can feel her warmth and her skin touching mine, and feel her heartbeat pulse through her body in time with my own._

 _It does make it a little hard to breathe sometimes, when her lower legs hug me around the waist a little too tightly, but it's one small thing._

 _I gently stroked her back, my hands sliding down over her taut, lovely rear end to just below, feeling where soft, smooth skin became chitinous and slick before becoming her legs. I wonder why they call them 'half-woman, half-spider', since Rachnee has a human torso, ignoring her teeth, eyes and hands, down to her groin, ending just below where her thighs would be. Even then, that part is represented by her forelegs._

 _Really, she looks more like a tall, curvaceous woman sat down on the head of a huge spider and they melded together at that point. Now that I think about it, Rachnee has two torsos. One human, one spider. It's less 'half and half' and more two separate things coming together to form one combined version; like Voltron. Except organic spiders instead of robotic lions, and Rachnee is_ way _sexier than Voltron._

 _That aside, I brought my hands back up to rest on the base of her spine, gently digging my fingertips into the muscle, making her groan softly. It's dimly lit outside, which means it's early morning, and I had a very good night's sleep, and I want to get up. But I also don't want to just slip out of Rachnee's arms; not when I could wake her up for some 'us time'._

 _My hands move slowly up her spine, digging and releasing slowly while I scooted under her a bit more so that I could access her neck and shoulder with my lips without also pulling my neck. Rachnee moaned sleepily as I kissed and suckled gently on the junction of her throat, one hand maintaining the half-massage on her back while the other lowered to softly grope and knead her cheeks._

 _Her back arched and she almost sat up, exposing more of her neck to my mouth, her eyes fluttering open and fixing on me. She blinked the glaze of sleep away, her lips curling into a warm, satisfied smile. "Morning, Rachnee," I greeted casually._

 _She tilted her head down and kissed me softly, her silken lips melding with my own, her hands sliding through my hair. Rachnee pulled back, her eyes half-lidded. "Good morning, Honey," she whispered lovingly._

 _Her tone made my heart race and I leaned up to return the kiss with all the passion I could muster, feeling heat blossoming underneath her skin. "You know, I never got the bath I wanted last night," I remarked, breaking away._

" _Why, Mr. Dewitt, are you propositioning me?" she asked teasingly, planting a hand on my chest and sitting up._

" _Yup," I answered without shame, "Just imagine, you and me in the bath, all alone with nothing but warm water and suds to keep us apart."_

 _Rachnee traced a simple pattern on my chest, biting her lip in thought. That look just made me want to kiss her again. "I like the sound of that," she murmured, rising off of me._

" _I'll go get the bath started while you make sure everyone is still asleep?" I offered, pulling on my robe._

" _Deal," she replied quickly, scuttling out of the room with myself close behind. I took the hallway at a quick stride, quickly peeking in on Cerea to see that she was still asleep. I threw open the bathroom door and rushed inside, quickly turning the taps, allowing water to gush forth. I made sure to keep it warm bordering on hot, since Rachnee doesn't like hot water. And I added a good splash of bubble-bath, because why the hell not?_

 _As the water level rose, I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them aside…and then realized that I had forgotten to grab clean clothes to change into. Whoops._

 _At that moment, Rachnee entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her while balancing an armful of clothes. She smiled at me, setting the stack aside and disrobed, leaving her fully naked before my eyes. "Everyone's still asleep," she said happily._

" _Good, the water's just about done," I said, turning the taps. "Come on in."_

 _Rachnee stepped into the bath with a sigh, sinking down to her waist with her skull-printed abdomen bobbing behind her. Luckily, my bath is fucking huge, so she's not constrained. Everyone in my house could take a bath right now and there would still be some comfortable space, it's that big._

 _I shut off the water and sunk down under the surface, the bath being deep enough that I could lay down and have an inch of water a few inches above me. I pushed myself along the bottom, heading towards Rachnee, emerging from the water right in front of her. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, our lips meeting again as we embraced in the warm, bubbly water._

 _We stood -knelt, actually- in the bath, holding one another and grabbing handfuls of soap to wash the other with. It was intimate and relaxing, as well as arousing to rub suds into her skin and wash them away, every action interspersed with kisses and gentle touches._

 _When we were clean but not done relaxing, I sat on the underwater bench and Rachnee sat in my lap. We could only be closer if we were having sex, and we were one quick adjustment away from that. But, I made no move to do as much, simply content to hold and kiss the woman in my arms, even if my body was ready._

" _Where are you planning on taking Yukio for your date?" She asked quietly after we broke apart for air._

 _I got my breath back before answering. "Well, it's supposed to be pretty hot today. I was thinking of hitting up the water park, since school is still in session and it'll be less crowded." I pecked her lips. "And then we'll get lunch and be home before dinner."_

 _Rachnee hummed agreeably, leaning her head on my shoulder. "So, are you going to kiss her at the end?" She asked teasingly._

 _I arched an eyebrow at her. "No. I'm with you, Rachnee." My reply seemed to confuse her._

" _What does that have to do with anything?"_

" _Uh, I'm not going to cheat on you, Rachnee. I definitely like Yukio, but I'm not going to lead her on or kiss her while I'm in a relationship with you." I replied, feeling as if I was missing something._

 _She frowned, looking at me with questioning red eyes. "Is this a human thing, where you only have one partner?" At my nod, Rachnee huffed. "Well that's stupid."_

 _I shrugged, nonplussed by the conversation. "That's just how it is. A couple is just that, two people in a relationship. Going outside of that is taboo for most humans."_

" _That may be true for humans, Honey," Rachnee leaned in and whispered into my ear. " but none of the ladies in your household are humans. You signed up for cultural exchange, remember?"_

 _That made some sort of sense. "Okay, but that's still not fair to the others in a relationship like that. I mean, wouldn't jealousy and infighting make that kind of implode before too long?" I ask, noting that the bath is getting colder._

" _It would if the others don't know the pecking order." She answers easily, with a shrug and smirk that makes my groin pulse appreciatively. "And since they all know I'm at the top, it's no problem." She definitely felt my body react to that, and her lips descended on my neck._

" _Wait, what do you mean? 'They all know.' Who knows?" Have the girls been discussing this when I'm not around?_

 _Rachnee pulls back. "I mean Yukio came to me yesterday and asked if I would allow her to date you. I said the same thing I would if any other girl asked: yes, but if they interrupt my time with you, I'll tie them to a wall and have sex with you in front of them." She licked her lips. "Speaking of sex…"_

 _My mind went a little hazy after she kissed me and slipped her tongue in my mouth, grabbing my hand and bringing it up to her breast before reaching down and grasping my arousal gently. "Wait," I managed, pulling away, "You're fine with me dating another girl? As in, 'possibly kissing and having sex' dating?"_

 _She sighed in annoyance. "Yes, that's what I meant. For someone who wears glasses, you can be kinda slow on the uptake, you know?" Her eyes softened at my incredulous look. "Look, Honey, there are a lot of Arachne in the world, and out of all them, there are only three males. Male Arachne or so rare, there's never been any record of there being more than five at a time. If Arachne didn't birth so many children at a time, we would've gone extinct long ago. And not all men are like you, you sweet weirdo. They don't find human/spider mixes attractive."_

 _Rachnee pointed out the door. "All the different species sleeping out there? Only the Undead and the Centaur are from a race that have an equal amount of males to females. Harpies, Lamia and Yuki-Onna are all predominantly female; they expect and are expected to share a male, like their mothers before them. To be blunt,_ you're _the one acting weird, here."_

 _I settle back on the bench with a sigh. "Alright, you've made your point, Rachnee. It's just a little…odd, ok? I've only been in one relationship before, with a human. I guess I just need to adjust to the idea of you being fine with it." Though, I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with the idea of basically creating a harem. The whole idea seems like a sort of silly fantasy, since every man I know wouldn't be able to handle two women at once, let alone a ridiculous number like twenty. Not to say that a woman would be able to handle a similar number of men at once. Not without being part dragon or something, and even that is debatable._

 _Rachnee leaned in, her teeth gently biting into the skin of my shoulder, the brief pain being soothed as she licked the miniscule wound. "Don't worry Honey, I'll help you adjust. But, since we're talking about different species, did you know that I have two sets of lungs?" I didn't, actually. "One human set, and one spider set in my abdomen. As long as I keep it above water, I can stay submerged indefinitely." The grin she gave me could only be described as salacious. "Let me show you."_

 _She kissed down my chest, from the hollow of my throat down to my stomach, slipped her head under the water…and proved that she wasn't lying._

 _Though, I kept getting the feeling that I was being watched, even though I knew there weren't any bugs and no one else was awake. I didn't notice for long, since it's hard to pay attention after going cross-eyed._

…

 _After our…stimulating bath, I stepped into the living room to find the EON ladies still asleep; though, judging by the way they were shifting, it seemed they would wake up soon. Zombina was still sprawled out on the beanbag, except that now, she had her hand down her pants and had pulled her tanktop up enough that I could see the bottom of her ample breasts._

 _Kuroko looked as peaceful as ever, curled up in my favorite black leather recliner. The loli that was Doppel had rolled over in her sleep, using the Lovecraft book she had been reading as a pillow, and I really hope she's not drooling on that, it was a gift from my sister. Tio was stretched out on the couch, her lips parted as she snored quietly; and much like everything else about her, it was really cute._

 _I couldn't resist reaching out patting her cheek as I walked past the couch; though, in retrospect, I should have. Her arm whipped out and snagged me around the waist, dragging me down on top of her, my head landing directly in her chest._

 _Now, I don't mind having my face shoved in a nice soft bosom, I'm not gay. I don't exactly like it when oxygen becomes a problem, as frequently as that happens with Rachnee and Cerea, since even though I'm above-average height, they're still tall enough that they can just hug me and I end getting a faceful of cleavage. But, I especially don't mind when Tio does it, since her chest is so large (along with the rest of her) that it bypasses the whole 'suffocation' aspect and I can breathe just fine. And just hugging the cute oni makes me want to melt into it like butter on waffle…if that waffle was cute, and nearly seven-and-a-half feet tall._

 _I still had breakfast to make, though, so that was a problem, essentially since I was caught in the tight grasp of Snuggle'thulhu, and no one was coming to save me. Even my ninja wilyness wouldn't help me all that much. I_ did _have one secret weapon, I just needed to implement it._

 _It wasn't easy, crawling my way up out of Tio's chest, but I eventually did, enough that I could whisper into her ear. "Hey, Tio," I started, and she groaned in response. "If you let me go, I'll make a sweet, delicious breakfast for you. How does that sound? Pancakes, coated in maple syrup?"_

 _She moaned, and I knew I had my in. Or out, as the situation was._

" _What about waffles? Each little divot brimming with melted butter and syrup?" I whispered, feeling her shift on the couch. "How about fresh French Toast, still hot out of the pan, covered in maple syrup and powdered sugar with freshly-cut strawberries and just-made vanilla whipped cream?"_

 _Tio gave off a sound that could only be classified as sexual in nature, her eyes fluttering open. "Mmm…" She sniffed and squeezed me softly, looking up and noticing that I was in her arms. "Oh, hey Sweetie. Mornin'."_

 _I couldn't help but smile as she yawned. "Morning, Tio. Get a good night's sleep?"_

 _She sat up stiffly, rubbing her neck with a small grimace. "Not too bad, though I am a little sore. And really hungry for some reason. I could use a backrub." Tio smiled at me, hugging me tightly. "You want to help me with that, Sweetie?"_

 _I really do, but I have stuff to make. "I would, Tio, but I need to make breakfast. I'm thinking French toast, with whipped cream and strawberries."_

 _I smiled again when she drooled. "Ooh, that's sounds good," She moaned, before her hand went back to her neck. "My neck does hurt, but I also want that, too. Decisions…" Tio brightened as an idea occurred to her. "I know! Why don't you take a bath with me, and then make breakfast?"_

 _She looked so proud of her idea that I almost didn't want to tell her that I'd already washed up. "I already took a bath, Tio, but you can use my stupidly huge bathtub and stretch out. By the time you finish, breakfast will be ready."_

 _The adorable oni perked up at the thought. "Okay! You're so smart, Sweetie!" Then, she laid a big kiss on my cheek and set me down before skittering off to bathe, allowing me to stand up and stretch._

 _I turned around and pointed at Doppel, who was looking at me with amused yellow eyes. "You were awake the whole time and you didn't help." I heard her trying not to laugh when I got pulled into Tio's embrace._

" _Pffft, of course I didn't help. It wouldn't have been so fun to see." She replied with a smirk, crossing her legs. "It's funny watching you struggle."_

 _I, in my typically mature fashion, stuck my tongue out at her and left the living room, heading for the kitchen, but I paused upon looking into the dining room. Papi was slumped in my chair, her chin resting on the table and looking miserable. It made my heart hurt, since I was part of the cause for that look on her face._

 _Sighing, I entered the dining room and stopped next to her. "Hey, Papi."_

" _Papi doesn't want to go," she whispered sadly, looking down at her reflection in the wood._

 _Heaving another sigh, I ran my hand through my hair before reaching down and picking the Harpy up and taking seat, sitting her in my lap. Her wings wrapped around my chest as she nestled her head in the crook of my neck. "Papi, do you know why I didn't fight the relocation?"_

" _Because Hubby doesn't like Papi?" Papi offered quietly._

" _No Papi, that's not why. And don't think like that, because I do like you." I replied kissing the top of her head. "No, the reason I didn't fight it is because when I was a kid, just barely three, my parents divorced and I lived with both of them over the years. While they provided for me, growing up without both of my parents changed me." It always does. "But you, Papi, you have the chance to experience what I never did: a full, loving family and you're young enough to benefit from it. I want you to have those memories."_

 _Papi looked up at me with a small frown. "Okay, hubby. I'll go with them, even though she doesn't want to." She sighed, leaning against me. "Papi's gonna miss her hubby."_

 _I pressed a soft kiss on her soft cobalt curls. "And I'll miss you, Papi. But this isn't goodbye; you can come visit me whenever you like, and if your parents ever make you feel like you're unwanted, come right back here. You'll always have a spot in my house, Papi."_

 _She perked slightly at that. "Okay, hubby!"_

 _I hugged her gently, feeling her hum and snuggle into me. "Now, I'm going to make breakfast, do you want to help?" I asked._

" _Sure, hubby!" she chirped, flapping away, "What is hubby making?"_

" _Well, it's a type of food called 'French toast…'"_

…

The rest of the household had woken up in the time it took for the scent of breakfast to permeate the building, and they all sat down for a breakfast of the promised French toast, sausage and plenty of coffee. While the atmosphere was enjoyable, there was an underlying current of tension, as everyone knew what would be happening soon.

Smith, Doppel, Manako and Zombina had begged off to head to work while Tio decided to stay behind and lend her support, if only emotionally. The tension reached a breaking point as the car containing Papi's parents pulled up.

Saul blinked as he got his first look of the people that had created Papi. Papi's mother was a harpy, with a similar build to her daughter, and that was the only feature shared. Where Papi had short cobalt curls, eyes and wings with fair skin, her mother was golden blonde with hair down to her waist and darkly tanned, with thick white mascara around her sharp yellow eyes. The man of the pair had Saul wondering if he had actually suffocated in Tio's chest.

That was because, walking up the steps, arm-in-wing with Papi's mother, was the Chief of Police, looking very different without a dour expression and a suit. Saul opened the door before they could knock, pointing at the chief in surprise. "You're Papi's father?" He asked suddenly.

The Chief arched an eyebrow at him, wondering who the rude man was, before his eyes went wide. "The guy from the doujin shop," he recalled in shock, "You're Papi's host?"

"Yeah," Saul muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Small world." He remembered the harpy at the Chief's side and nodded to her, unsure of how to take her radically different appearance from her child. "Hey."

"Human, where is my daughter?" She asked bluntly. "Have you mated with her?"

Both men looked disturbed at the hearing that, her father for being her father and Saul because her father was standing right in front of him. And he also happened to be the Chief of Police. Fortunately, the author was saved from answering as Papi pushed past him to lunge at her mother with a squeal. "Mommy!"

"Daughter!" The blonde harpy replied just as happily, wrapping her wings around her daughter. "Are you well?"

Papi nodded enthusiastically. "Papi's just fine, Mommy!" She turned to the Chief, her smile fading slightly. "Who's the Mustache Guy?"

The Chief winced slightly at being referred to as such. "Hello, Papi, I…am your father." He said awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you."

The cobalt Harpy titled her head and smiled. "You too, Mustache Guy!" she replied cheerfully, before standing back and leaning against Saul. "This is my hubby!"

Both of Papi's parents stared at him, one in fatherly concern and the other with narrowed eyes. "He's your mate?" Papi's mother asked.

Papi blinked and tilted her head. "Mate? No, hubby is hubby!" She hugged Saul's side tightly.

Saul waved. "Hey. My name is Saul Dewitt, I'm Papi's host." He introduced, before waving at the other girls. "These are my homestays. Rachnera, Miia, Yukio, Cerea and Tio, who is not actually living here, she's just visiting."

The other girls waved at them, the Chief glancing between Saul and his ladies with wide eyes, before blinking and shaking his head. Papi's mother waved a wing at them. "Tori is Papi's mother, Tori is." She greeted, before wrapping a wing around the Chief's waist. "And this is Husband."

"Takahashi Keigo," The Chief corrected, nodding. "Nice to meet you all."

The girls nodded in reply, before Miia spoke up. "Why are you taking Papi?" She asked with an upset tone.

Keigo rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Well, Tori and I met before the Exchange began, and decided to live together as a family. We didn't actually intend for Papi to sign up because it would make things complicated, but…" He trailed off, glancing away.

Tori thumbed her chest proudly. "I'm a bird brain. I completely forgot to tell her." She announced with no shame. "And Papi flew off before Tori could."

"Oh," Miia muttered, somewhat mollified.

"Honey," Saul couldn't stop himself from looking at Keigo as he addressed his wife, "Why don't you, Papi and her friends catch up while I go pack the car? Mr. Dewitt, will you help me?"

"Sure," Saul nodded, leading the man through the house as the ladies stayed behind to chat. He was certain he heard Tori ask who his mate was, with Rachnee cheerfully replying.

The Chief cleared his throat. "So, I assume you have questions. Ask." He offered.

"Alright," the author cleared his throat before asking, "Why did you want to be a family with Papi and her mother now? As childish as she can be, Papi _is_ seventeen, and has been living on her own for a few years now."

Keigo sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair. "As you said, my daughter is seventeen, but also recall that Extraspecies have only been introduced to the world at large in the past six months. I love Tori, but a stable relationship has never been viable until now. Beyond a few times a year that she visited me, when she remembered, I've never spent more than a few days with my wife." His face was long, his mustache seeming to droop.

"Huh." Saul muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. "That sounds like shit." His mind fell back to the Arachne in the foyer behind them, and how he would feel if, after falling in love with her, she had to leave because her existence was a secret, only able to visit once in awhile.

It would never be enough.

"It was," The Chief replied quietly. "A few months ago, when the bill was being debated, I found a gray hair on my head, and it made me realize that, for as young as I am, I am getting old. And in the seventeen years Papi has been alive, I have never held my daughter in my arms. Back there? That's the second time I've seen her outside of the pictures Tori sent me. I wasn't there for birth, or her first word or her first flight. I may not be a beat cop or a detective anymore, but my line of work is still dangerous." He coughed and straightened his spine. "But with the law in place, I can live openly with Tori without fear of her disappearing into a laboratory or being chased away. And Papi is still young enough that I can have some sort of effect on her life, if only a minor one. It's an opportunity I am not passing up, young man."

Saul blinked at him. "I understand what you're saying, Mr. Takahashi. Frankly, I had hoped the situation was like that. If you were simply trying to bring Papi into your family for the ability to say you had an Extraspecies daughter or for some sort of prestige, I would've fought this with every resource I have, parent or not." He shook his head, pushing open Papi's door. "But since that isn't necessary, I'll just say I'm glad that Papi's going somewhere with people who love her. Also, I'm twenty-three."

Keigo looked at him incredulously as they gathered Papi's bags and packed what she left behind for whatever reason. "You're rather young to be living in a mansion, aren't you?"

"Geh," the author sighed, "This place wasn't a mansion when I bought it. The Program modified it into this awhile back for some reason. To make me do things for them? Maybe to justify sending more Extraspecies here? Or to have a place to dump problem cases? Or, possibly, someone high up just wants to mess with me for a laugh, I don't really know." He explained, irritated.

"Oh," The Chief muttered, gathering up the last bag. After they finished, the two men exited the room and made their way back to the front of the house. "You know, Papi will be able to visit when she wants to."

Saul nodded. "That's good." They arrived in the foyer, where all the ladies were chatting. They stopped upon seeing them carrying the evidence of Papi's impending absence. Solemnly, they parted and followed the two men outside and watched as they packed the trunk. Tori joined her husband as Papi went to say her goodbyes.

She hugged Miia first, the crimson-haired Lamia embracing her friend tightly with teary eyes. They made promises to keep in contact, see about getting the Harpy a Wii with an internet connection so that they could play together.

Papi shared a light hug with Cerea, since they hadn't known each for very long and had opposing personalities. She moved onto Yukio and shared a short embrace with her, since the Yuki-Onna was cold. She then hugged Tio around the thighs and had to struggle to get away when the oni began to bawl and snuggle with her.

Rachnee merely wrapped her arms around the Harpy before patting her head, leaving Saul for last. The author and his now-former homestay stood in awkward silence before Papi darted forward and hugged him tightly, with him returning the gesture fiercely. Despite how different they were, Saul liked Papi very much, and the excitable harpy had quickly built a special place for her in his heart.

"Remember, you can visit whenever you want, Papi." He whispered softly, "You'll always have a place here."

"Okay, hubby," She murmured, drawing back and kissing his cheek gently. "Papi's gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Saul replied, kissing her forehead.

They separated slowly, both with wet eyes. Saul felt Rachnee put an arm around his shoulder as Papi slipped into the car, her father closing the door behind her. He nodded to them and entered the driver's seat, starting the car up with a rumble. As they pulled away, a window rolled down and Papi's top half emerged from the interior.

"Bye everyone!" She called, waving her wings. "Bye Hubby! By Racky! Bye Miia! By Cereal! Bye Yuko! Bye Giant Lady!"

They waved back until the car pulled around a corner and out of sight. Saul sighed and leaned against Rachnee comfortingly as she hugged him gently, the weight of what had happened settling on his shoulders like a leaden mantle.

The somber mood was inadvertently broken by Tio as she dramatically fell to her knees, clutching her chest and crying. Worried, Saul hurried over and laid a hand on her shoulder, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong; when the breath was driven from his lungs as the oni turned and clutched him to her tightly.

"She called me 'Giant Lady'!" Tio wailed, "She didn't even remember my name! Just my size!"

Breathing heavily, Saul carefully patted the oni on the head, avoiding her horn. "She's not the best with names, Tio, it's fine, don't worry about it." He gasped.

"Verily." Cerea huffed indignantly, crossing her arms. "That Harpy believed me to be named Cereal! As if my mother would name me such!"

Rachnee shrugged with deliberate force, making her breasts jiggle. "I thought her calling me 'Racky' was actually pretty appropriate, though maybe you would've preferred to be called that, _Cereal_?" She asked teasingly, poking Cerea's chest.

"Gah! Remove thy hands at once!" The centaur cried, trying to cover her massive mammaries protectively.

As they squabbled, Yukio reached over and tugged on Tio's sleeve as Miia tried and failed to pull Saul out of her arms. "Excuse me, Tio, but I need Beloved conscious if we are to go on our date today." She said calmly.

At that, Tio stopped her over dramatic sobbing and set Saul down, glancing between the author and the Yuki-Onna with curiosity in her dull red eyes. "You guys are going on a date?" She asked with ill-concealed jealousy in her voice.

Rachnee smirked knowingly, patting Saul on the back. "Yup. I mean, he already took me and Miia on a date, he's taking Yukio out today, and then he's trotting off with Cerea tomorrow." Her smirk turned into a full-blown grin at the envious fire blazing in Tio's eyes. "Though, I'm sure if you asked nicely, Honey wouldn't mind taking you out as well."

The author regained his breath just in time to hear the last part of Rachnee's offer. "Wait, what?" He stepped back as Tio was suddenly in his face, an expression of intensity on her cute face. "Uh…yes, Tio?"

"Would you really go on a date with me?" She asked seriously, as if his potential answer meant that life as they knew it would change.

"Uh…sure." He replied with a nod. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

Tio's expression lit up, and it was as if the sun had come out. "Yay! I get a date with Sweetie!" She cheered, doing a little happy dance before tapping her chin in thought. "But when? I have work next week…I know!" Tio snapped her fingers, pointing in the air triumphantly. "Next weekend!"

Saul blinked, trading confused looks with Rachnee. "You mean sometime next weekend? Like Saturday or Sunday?"

Tio favored him with a beatific smile. "No, silly Sweetie, I mean all of next weekend. Friday, Saturday _and_ Sunday." She said completely innocently.

"Hey, now wait a minute!" Rachnee cut in, a frown replacing her grin in an instant. "You can't just decide to take Honey for an entire weekend, that's not fair!"

"Well, not the entire weekend," Tio shrugged. "We can meet up on Friday and come back Sunday evening."

The Arachne crossed her arms. "No." She declared firmly, fixing the oni with a serious look.

Suddenly, she was assaulted by horrifying, gut-wrenching sight: Tio with her head tilted downward, her red eyes wide and soulful, hands clasped pleadingly in front of her, her lower lip trembling as if she was on the verge of bursting into depressed tears. "...Please?" The oni asked in small, heart-broken voice.

"Hrk." Rachne gasped, clutching her chest at the heartrendingly cute and sad expression on the oni's face, being barely aware of Saul leaning heavily on her in the same position. Even Miia, Cerea and Yukio were affected just by being in a close proximity to her. "Alright, Tio, just…stop doing that…please."

As if a switch had been flipped, Tio lost the expression and skipped over to Saul and Rachnee, giving the latter a tight hug and the former a happy kiss on the cheek. "Okay! I have to go plan! Bye!" Having successfully manipulated the fuck out of them, the oni left with a happy twirl of her dress.

"Jesus…" Saul muttered, patting his chest as if it would stop his heart from pounding. "I thought I was immune to looks like that, but good god…it was like my heart was being squeezed."

"Quite the dangerous technique," Cerea added, her countenance thoughtful. "I will have to build my defenses against it, for my Noble Master!"

Rachnee panted, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I…did not know Tio could do that," She huffed, shaking herself before grabbing Saul in a tight hug. "Well, seems like you won't be here next weekend."

"If she uses that to get her way again, we're going to have to stop being friends with her." The author replied, separating from Rachnee and looking up at the sky. "Well, it's getting closer to noon. We should get ready to go, Yukio."

The Yuki-Onna nodded. "What should I wear?"

"Comfortable and casual, with a swimsuit underneath." He said, "And some comfortable shoes. We'll be walking for a bit."

Yukio nodded in agreement, a small smile quirking her lips.

…

After preparing for the day, the pair left for the nearby water park, walking a good distance from their house to catch a bus. As he expected, Saul and Yukio were stared at, the latter more so, naturally. It wasn't as bad as it was when Rachnee or Miia went out, since Yukio looked just like a human woman, albeit an extremely beautiful one with pale skin and white hair.

And also since about three of the people on the half-full bus were Extraspecies themselves. Two were cat-girls, while the other was a kobold. All waved at them cheerfully and moved to sit around them, chattering with Yukio about her experiences in the world of humans and how great it was to see another Extraspecies woman out and about. They squealed when it was revealed that Saul and Yukio were on a date and asked to let them know how it went, stuffing a piece of paper with their numbers on it in Yukio's hand.

They waved to their new acquaintances as the bus pulled away, trading bemused looks as the sudden storm of talking and excitement had passed. "Well, that was weird." Saul stated blandly as they walked into the park, the sun shining down high overhead.

An older gentleman manned the ticket booth, smiling and accepting money in exchange for a pair of tickets and dolphin stamps on the back of their hands. The interior of the park was at a pleasant level of occupancy, most of the visitors being older people with younger children, likely grandparents taking grandchildren out for the day. Most of the kiddie pools and slides were in use, which was just fine with Saul. He hadn't intended for them to ride those.

They entered separated locker rooms to change into their swimsuits and store their items away, meeting back outside and taking a second to admire the other. Saul wore a pair of simple dark blue trunks with an orange stripe going up one leg, leaving his chest bare with the exception of an obsidian raven in flight, hanging from a silver chain. With that, he had simple flip-flops and a pair of yellow sunglasses.

Yukio wore a navy blue one-piece swimsuit that had a reasonable neckline and covered most of her front, showing the sides of her toned stomach and her back. Along with that, she had a wide-brimmed tan straw hat and a pair of round black sunglasses. She gave a small smile as Saul held out his arm, taking it easily.

"Where to first, Yukio?" He asked, waving at the park. "There're plenty of rides."

She tapped her chin in thought, her blank blue eyes settling a tall, swirling slide; more importantly, she saw that all of those in line to ride were paired up, holding pool floats built for two. "Let's do that one." Yukio replied, her voice tinged with excitement.

Saul grinned as she took the lead, almost pulling him along towards the ride. He snagged a float as she set her hat and their sunglasses aside, and they stood in the thankfully short line. As they stood, Yukio glanced down and noticed something she hadn't before. Saul had a tattoo of the sun on his left shoulder. If she hadn't seen the faded black lines, she wouldn't have noticed as the light yellow coloration blended with his skin very well.

Yukio resolved to ask him about it later as they stepped to the front and took their seats on the float, her in front and him in back. The Yuki-Onna leaned back against her host as he pushed off and they rocketed down the slide, a cheer slipping through her lips as they picked up speed and raced towards the bottom. They hit the water at high speeds, flinging them through the air shortly before landing in the pool with a pair of mighty splashes.

Saul emerged from the water first, brushing his hair out of his eyes and spitting up water with a smile. Yukio popped up next to him, a wide grin on her face was she flipped her long white hair over her shoulder. He was struck by the way her smile seemed to light up the world around her, and how attractive she looked soaking wet. Of course, calling Yukio just 'attractive' was much like saying swimming in liquid nitrogen would be 'a bit chilly'. That is, a massive understatement.

She turned to Saul, pausing as she noticed the somewhat stunned look on his face. "...Beloved?" The Yuki-Onna asked hesitantly.

The author shook himself briefly, smiling back at her. "Nothing, I just like it when you smile." He said honestly, "You look even more beautiful when you do."

Yukio stiffened, her cheeks darkening as the water around her flash-froze with a crackle. "I-uh, I…thank you, beloved," She murmured, looking away shyly.

He chuckled, taking her hand and leading her from the pool. "No need to thank me for telling the truth, Yukio." Saul set the float aside and quickly brushed the droplets of frozen water off of her shoulders. "Come on, there are plenty of rides left."

The Yuki-Onna smiled softly and took his hand, before pointing out another slide. "Let's go on that one."

…

There were dozens of rides for them to go on, and they spent hours trying out each one that struck their fancy. A few turned out to be more fun than expected, like one slide that had wide turns that spun their float around like a top, making them scream and cheer, or another that flew by at a breakneck pace, launching them from one tube to another.

A few were less fun, like one ride that was rather straightforward. They went at about the same time in the twin tubes, sliding forward a bit before suddenly plummeting downwards, shooting out the end and sending the water at the bottom splashing high into the air. Saul had a blast on that one, and nearly fell over laughing as he heard Yukio shriek in fright, her pale form zipping out of the slide and hitting the water, sending the waves up where they froze solid.

He stumbled over to her slide and pulled a shaking Yukio out of the ice. She frowned at him and cracked a piece of ice off of her inadvertent sculpture, pulling the waistband of his shorts away and dropping it inside.

To her dismay, Saul only jumped a little and shook his leg out. "That wasn't very nice, Saul." She muttered, turning away from him and crossing her arms. "You didn't tell me about the drop."

Saul guffawed, leaning on the rim of the slide. "The first time I went to a place like this, my sister did the exact same thing, with the exact same results. I was just continuing the tradition." He explained, before breaking out in laughter. "That scream, though!"

Yukio found it hard to keeping frowning at the sound of his mirth, feeling her lips pulling up at the corners, before she froze. _His sister did that to him, and he did it to me…does he see me like a sister?_ She wondered with a dawning sense of unease. She jumped as Saul suddenly hugged her, his warmth sinking through her skin and seemingly into her soul.

"I won't do that again, I swear," He whispered, his hot breath blowing in her ear. "I'm sorry if that frightened you, but just think: you can do the exact same thing to someone else the next time we go here."

That soothed her worries a bit, but the unease remained.

Luckily, the attendants didn't raise to much of a fuss at the ice, as the sun would melt it in short order. After that event, they continued their day of fun.

There were a few more fun rides, but the one of note was a log ride: the sudden drops made Yukio clutch at Saul like he was a life-line, something they both enjoyed immensely.

They rode that one three times.

After riding most of the slides for hours, Saul and Yukio retired to the food court for lunch, even though noon had passed about two hours ago. They both ordered a serving of chicken teriyaki, very large servings on very large plates that came with fried rice.

As they dug in, Saul was slightly stunned to see the the slender Yukio scarfing down her lunch at a pace that would make several anime heroes jealous, except in a manner that was twice as elegant and refined as he would ever be on a good day. She glanced up at him in confusion, asking "What?" around a mouthful of chicken.

He simply smiled and shook his head, digging into his meal. "Nothing."

After lunch, they decided to top the day off with a relaxing ride down a lazy river that spanned almost all of the park, lounging on floats with freshly-made mango smoothies in hand. As their floats bumped together, Saul reached out and linked his hand with Yukio's, smiling softly as he relaxed. Yukio gently ran her thumb over his knuckles, enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something.

On Saul's left side, just below his ribcage, there was a thin, silvery scar, about an inch long that was wide near his back and narrowing to a point. She made a mental note to ask him about it later, along with his tattoo, and settled back in her float to enjoy the feeling of closeness.

As they waded from the bank of the artificial river, the author turned to the Yuki-Onna. "Are you sure you don't want to go on the roller coasters?" He asked again, gesturing to the high tracks and fast cars full of screaming passengers.

Smiling, Yukio squeezed his still-held hand softly. "Yes," She shook her head, "maybe another day. I am pretty tired, and the park is beginning to fill up."

As the afternoon had gone along, more and more people filtered into the park, ready to enjoy the adrenaline rush of the rides and cold water.

"I can understand that," Saul replied with a nod. "Let's get dressed and go home."

They returned to the locker rooms, showering and dressing in short order, exiting as the lines to enter grew. The bus pulled up as they arrived at the stop, disgorging a full load of passengers that left the interior pleasantly quiet on the ride back. As the bus bounced down the road, Yukio leaned on her Beloved's shoulder, her eyes closing as he rested his head on hers.

The two stayed that way until their stop came up, hitting the sidewalk with their hands intertwined, still leaning on one another. They walked back slowly, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and one another.

Reaching the front door of their home, Yukio slowed to a stop, turning to face her host. "Beloved…do you know why I call you that?" She asked quietly, taking both of his hands in hers.

"Well, everyone else seems to have some sort of nickname for me," Saul shrugged sheepishly with a small smile. "Thought you might've felt left out."

Yukio giggled quietly, shaking her head. "No, that's not why. I call you Beloved because I…I have feelings for you. The emotions I feel when I am with you are more intense than anything I've ever experienced before, Beloved." She dropped his left hand and pulled the collar of his shirt down, exposing part of his chest, which she laid her palm against. His heartbeat pounded under his skin, thrumming against her palm like the beat of a drum. "Even when I first descended from my home in the mountains and felt the burn of the sun, I have never felt this warmth that I experience now, when I touch you."

Her intensity was almost palpable, her eyes locked with Saul's to the point that all he could see was her, the rest of the world blurring out of focus. His throat was dry and tight, to the point that he could only whisper her name. "Yukio…"

"Don't…" She interrupted, licking her lips nervously. "I've never done this before, and if I don't say it now, I don't know if I'll ever build up the courage to say it again." Yukio breathed deeply, before reaching up and unbuttoning the top of her shirt, just the first few clasps. She took his right hand and placed it on her chest, just above her left breast. "Do you feel that, Beloved? Can you feel my heart as it beats?"

Beneath her cool skin, Saul _could_ feel her heart; the beat slow, steady and assured. It was as if he had completed a circuit, electrifying tingles racing up his arms and his spine and settling in his heart before racing back out into Yukio. "Yeah…" he breathed, his pulse racing, "Yeah, I do."

Yukio's lips curved sweetly as she smiled, one of the warmest expression he had ever seen. "There is nothing and no one else who can make my heart beat this way, Beloved," She whispered, sliding her hand up from his chest to cup his face as he shivered at the sensation, "My heart beats only for you."

Having said her piece, Yukio closed the distance and gently pressed her lips to his. She held there for a few seconds, before pulling away and seeing that Saul was frozen in place. He blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. "Yukio, I…" He gulped quietly, "I don't know what to say…"

"Because of your feelings for Rachnee?" She asked knowingly, a small, sad smile on her face. "I understand, Beloved. I just wanted you to know how I feel." Yukio turned and tried to step away, only for Saul's hand grasp her wrist and pull her back as he embraced her and kissed her passionately.

Yukio stiffened in surprise, before melting into his arms and his lips with a muffled moan. Her fingers threaded through his hair as their lips melded together again and again, their hearts beating in time.

Saul broke away, breathing heavily. "Yukio, I don't know when I'll be able to return all of your feelings, but I will. I just need time to…I'm still getting used to the idea that someone wants to be with me, let alone more than one. Just…give me some time, okay?" He pleaded softly, willing her to understand through his eyes.

She smiled softly, her arms around his neck. "I am a Yuki-Onna, Beloved," She replied, pecking his lips. "I can wait forever, if need be. Don't make me wait that long, okay?" Yukio kissed him one more time, before tapping his nose emphasis and stepping away.

"I won't," He promised, taking her hand once more and stepping towards the door…only to slip and tumble to the ground.

The outpouring of feelings and emotions had affected Yukio's power, making a thin sheet of ice develop on the ground; which Saul had then slipped on like a dumbass.

"Beloved!"

"Ow…I'm fine, Yukio. Though, I may need an ice pack…"

"It is lucky I am here then, Beloved."

…

…

…

 **A/N: Another chapter down. And hey, look! Saul actually had a good reason for wanting Papi to go, and not because he sees her as a non-sexual object! Wow, it's almost like** _ **that was planned from the very beginning, oh my god!**_

 **That's not to say that everyone disliked that move, oh no, it's just that those who did were vocal about it. Which I actually like, to be honest. If I get that kind of reaction from my work, it just means people are invested in both the story and the character, which makes me happy that my skills are at that level.**

 **But yeah, there was saying goodbye to Papi, where I even left a way for her to come back if I wanted, imagine that! I also gave her parents names. Since Papi was named after how Harpy sounds, I decided to name her mother after her most blatant feature, her bird wings. Tori means 'bird' in Japanese. And her father just has the most generic Japanese name I could think of.**

 **And then a bit with Tio (who is still cute, by the way) and yes, she has weaponized her irresistibility, but don't expect her to get away with it all the time.**

 **And the big thing: The date with Yukio. I don't actually know what water parks are like in Japan, so I pulled on my experience of going to Wild Waves.**

 **And it ended with a confession, which I enjoyed writing, since the beginning of the relationship with Rachnee was basically her pushing Saul down, kissing him and saying 'we both know how we feel, let's stop wasting time', and I wanted to do a romantic confession.**

 **But, also, I wanted to twist things a little bit. Usually, and this is something I've done, in a harem story, the man is all for it and has to convince the ladies that a relationship like that is worth it. Instead, the** _ **girls**_ **are the ones for the harem, but the** _ **guy**_ **is the one unsure about it, and for good reason. Since the girls were raised with very little men, they expected to be part of harem, which is natural for their species. But, since Saul is human and has only been in a human relationship, he doesn't know how to handle it. Much like a real person would.**

 **Anyway, now that the chapter's done, you know what it's time for!**

 **That's right, another Omake starring Neseg and Saul!**

 **Omake:**

"Ah, shit," sighed Neseg, hunched over his controller, "I died again."

Saul guffawed, leaning back on the couch. "Yeah, maybe starting out on Hard mode was a bit overzealous," he admitted between chuckles. "Don't worry about it, let's just do a few Strikes and matches to get your skills up. Oryx isn't going anywhere…not until we kill him, anyway."

"Works for me," the Devil agreed easily, "I did say I'd never played before…"

"True, but it was fun to see you driving the struggle-bus," The author replied with a laugh, setting them up for a Strike and changing his load-out. "This way, you know what we're up against and can practice the tactics against easier enemies - oh god dammit, not the Mind Flayers again. With freaking Void Burn, too? Ugh..."

Neseg grunted, taking aim. "Fucking hell, it's like every damn Taken in the room wants to swarm me. Why the hell are they smart enough to gang up on the sniper?!"

"Because half of them are the stupid Fallen-Taken snipers, the ones who throw up the shields if a fly farts at them." Saul grumbled, the sound a click followed by an explosion making him grin. "Doesn't matter if I get inside your shield and stick you, does it?! Whoop, I'm dying, poppin' a shield."

His fellow player obliged by headshotting a Cabal Legionnaire that had tried to get the drop on him. "Got it. Starting to run low on ammo. Might have fucked up by not taking a weapon with a larger pool."

"Yeah, they got that modifier as well, the one that makes it so ammo only drops for the weapons you're not using. Side note, I'm completely full on heavy and my sword is ready to go. You want to Shadowshot them so I can clean 'em up?" Saul asked, pulling out his Exotic Sword.

Neseg nodded. "Alright. Tell me where to fire."

Saul had his Titan chuck a grenade at a wall. "Right there."

The devil quickly homed in on the object and used his ability, leaping up into the air with a bow of lavender energy. He fired a glowing projectile at that spot, creating an orb where it landed. Tendrils of dark energy lashed out in all directions, entangling the mobs and slowing them.

Saul's Titan dived into the action, eviscerating the tethered enemies with a wide spin attack. "You know, I don't really understand why people like the Bolt-Caster so much," he remarked casually, despite the violence on-screen. "I mean, it's lightning attack is pretty good, but I didn't go through all that work just to get a sword that can shoot things. I have guns for that. That's why I go with the Dark-Drinker, since it makes killing things up close even easier, like a good sword should."

"Well, what's not to like about lightning?" Neseg murmured, keeping half an ear on the conversation, "It's fuckin' lightning. It's fun." He paused to consider. "Well, so long as it's not pointed at you. My Peerage's Queen uses it a lot. Almost blinded me the first time I saw it."

Saul paused after punching a Taken Flayer into a shield. "Is she a sadist?" he asked carefully.

"Mm. That she is."

"Is she hot?"

"But of course." Neseg flushed slightly. "She was the first person I saw when I got turned into a Devil, too." His character died. "Ah."

"Nothing like a hot girl to make someone not mind being a Devil." Saul replied with a shrug. "Rezzing."

"Alright."

"Oh man, can I wish for a less shitty teammate? This damn Warlock keeps blinking in like a dumbass."

The Devil frowned. "Oh yeah, I see him. You're not Tracer, dumbass! You can only use that one at a time!"

"Some people, you know?" The author muttered, throwing up another shield. "Glad I went Defender."

…

 **Big thanks to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7 for doing all that editing and shit. Why not give them a look-see while you're here?**

 **And yes, Suu will show up, but eventually! I'm taking my time introducing new characters! Patience, young one! Your waifu will come.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: If you've read my other stories, which one is your favorite? If you haven't read the others, then...go do that, then answer the question. And maybe also review those as well.**

 **It's a shameless plug, yes, but then again, I have no shame.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	13. Knights, Masters and Watery Things

The staccato clopping of hoofbeats echoed in the nearly-silent atmosphere of the countryside as Cerea galloped along a packed dirt road, Saul sitting astride her back with large wicker basket held between his legs. They had been riding for more than an hour and Cerea showed no signs of stopping just yet, or even tiring out.

The absence of vehicles, buildings and other people, for the most part, was very relaxing. Fields of green grass seemed to stretch towards the horizon on either side, intermittently broken up by wooden fences and pastures of cows and horses.

It would've been super clichè in a movie. As it was, the lack of cars honking and people chattering about all and sundry was a pleasant change of pace, and the mix of hoofbeats, rustling wind and grass was relaxing.

Scooting up and wrapping his arms around Cerea's waist, Saul asked, "Are we getting close?"

Flushing at the way his warm breath tickled her ear, Cerea answered, "Indeed, Master. It should be another ten minutes or so."

Nodding, Saul settled down, trying to get comfortable on her rhythmically flexing back. He looked down and peeked in the basket to make sure that the contents hadn't been knocked about or tipped over. Inside where several neatly packed rows of cut sandwiches, apples, carrots, celery and a few other unhealthily healthy foods. However, tucked beside the napkins was a large bag of chips, a bottle of hot sauce and a salt shaker.

…

" _...What are you doing, Rachnee?" I asked curiously, peering over her shoulder as she messed with the picnic basket suspiciously._

 _Rachnee stiffened, glancing around to find me behind her. "Oh, hey there, Honey," she greeted, stepping back and revealing the things she was surreptitiously adding to the basket: A bag of chips, hot sauce and a salt shaker from the table. At my arched eyebrow, she explained, "You know that Cerea's an herbivore, right? Well, they have really sensitive tastes, and…"_

 _She ran a finger along the edge of the bowl Cerea had used to make their food, before slipping it in my mouth. "Mm!" I protested, before dragging my tongue carefully along the contours of her sharp digit. That tuna salad…it tasted as bland as an inoffensive white thing can. Which is to say, a hint of mustard, no pickles and barely any salt. Well, I can't exactly hold her species against her, not in my kitchen anyway._

 _Something moved in my mouth and I remembered that Rachnee's finger was still in there. I arched an eyebrow at her, silently asking if she was going to move it at any time._

 _She flushed gently, withdrawing her digit. "See what I mean?" Rachnee whispered as she slowly and deliberately moved into my personal space, looming over me by about five inches. And I used to feel tall. "Tasteless, bland, inoffensive… passionless…"_

" _Feels like you aren't talking about her food anymore," I replied quietly, taking a little step forward._

" _Now why would I do that?" She murmured, draping her arms around my shoulders. "I'm obviously talking about her food. I couldn't exactly call Cerea passionless without lying."_

 _True. "Did you say that because you feel jealous?" I asked softly._

 _Rachnee tsked, her sharp fingers tracing an invisible pattern on my cheek. "Stop making me seem transparent, Saul," she muttered, "a girl needs to have secrets. But yes, I am a bit jealous. It's been some time since we last went out, just the two of us."_

 _I opened my mouth to point out that we'd been sleeping together every night, when she pinched my lips shut. "And I mean in the daytime, Honey," Rachnee said knowingly._

" _Well, I'm not really doing anything until the weekend, which leaves a couple of days free," I replied calmly, settling my hands on her hips, my thumbs stroking her smooth skin. "We can just go out on the town for a day."_

" _Mmm," she hummed, hugging me gently. "I like the sound of that, just you and me, maybe in a park, somewhere secluded. Kissing in the shade of a tree while a breeze rolls across our skin…"_

 _Reaching up, I cupped her face and lowered it to kiss her lips, halting her train of thought. Her arms clutched me to her, her long tongue slipping through my lips to dance with my own as my hand trailed up from her hip and along her spine to rest on the back of her neck._

" _Noble Master, I am ready to leave!" Cerea called from the front of the house, ending the moment._

 _Rachnee pecked my lips again before separating with a satisfied sigh. Turning, she packed her additions to my picnic in the basket before pushing it into my arms. "Have fun, Honey, and try not to_ ride _her too hard, okay?" She said with teasing smirk._

 _I shrugged. "Can't promise that. I'll see you in awhile." I kissed her once more before heading out of the kitchen. "Yukio, Miia, I'll see you later, alright? If you have any problems, call Smith! Have a good day!"_

 _Miia waved from over the couch as she focused on playing her game, while Yukio rose from her spot in my armchair and stepped close to me. She was slightly hesitant in wrapping her arms around me, but her hug was strong and warm. It was cool, actually, but the emotions behind it were warm. "Enjoy yourself, Beloved," she murmured, pressing a light, sweet kiss to my lips._

" _I will," I replied with a small smile and a peck. "See you later, Yukio."_

 _Waving, I stepped out of the door and found Cerea standing in the driveway, nervously stepping from hoof to hoof. "Let us make way, Master," she said by way of greeting. "Please, mount me and we can be on our way."_

" _You know, asking me to mount you could be taken the wrong way, Cerea," I replied, wiggling my eyebrows at her._

 _Her face went deep red in about a second and she turned away, stuttering. "If you're done making fun of me, Master…" she muttered, rubbing her arm._

 _Stepping from the curb, I hauled myself onto her back with her help, securing the basket between my legs. "I'm just teasing you, Cerea. I'll stop if it makes you feel uncomfortable, you know."_

" _Can thou please?" She asked quietly. "Insinuating such things about me, though I am thy knight…"_

" _Alright, I will," I promised, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Remember, though, you're supposed to call me Saul."_

" _I…yes, my apologies, Saul." Cerea straightened, stepping into the street before breaking out into a fast but steady pace._

…

Saul was drawn from his ruminations as his ride turned off of the road, galloping through long green grass, the blades brushing against the leg of his pants. _The feel of the wind in my hair and on my face, the seclusion and quiet peace…I really need to look into getting motorcycle. And some good earplugs._ "You haven't told me where we're going, Cerea," he pointed out as they rode across the field.

"Ah, I have not," Cerea muttered to herself. "It is a peaceful, secluded spot I found whilst I searched for you, Mas…Saul. I do not believe it to be inhabited, thus it is the perfect place for a quiet, private meal."

"You could call it a date, you know," he said with a small, teasing smirk. Even without seeing her face, he could feel the embarrassed heat rolling off of her. And the flush of pink creeping up the back of her neck.

"Thou said thou would not tease thy knight," she replied with an audible pout, a wide, dense copse of trees coming into view as they crested gently rolling hill.

Saul laughed freely, squeezing the arm he had around her waist softly. "Calling it a 'date' doesn't have to imply a romantic rendezvous, Cerea. Though, you have to admit, an hour-long ride along a quiet country road to get to a secluded spot? Sounds pretty romantic."

Cerea stuttered, unable to speak while being flustered. "Master, I-no, I only-I mean, I just wanted to be alone with…ah! No, what I meant to say-"

He leaned forward and hugged her from behind, ignoring the edge of the wicker basket digging into his stomach. "Calm down, Cerea," He urged, "It was just an observation, not innuendo." She flustered easily, and while it and her stuttering was rather cute, they were still galloping rather quickly towards trees that wouldn't be fun to run into.

She shook her head, dodging nimbly around the thick trunks and weaving through the sprawling roots. "Y-yes, of course, Master," Cerea replied quickly, frowning at herself.

Saul sighed and leaned back, rubbing his stomach. "We really need to work on where your mind goes…" he muttered, watching the trees whip by.

They were silent for a minute, with the exception of Cerea's steady breaths. Then, they emerged from thicket into a nicely-sized clearing dominated by a small waterfall and the wide pool below it. The shore was made up of large, moss-covered rocks with patches of grass near the edge of the water, with a small stream trickling away through the trees.

"Wow," Saul muttered in awe, looking up at the sunlight streaming through the leaves far above. "This place is so peaceful and quiet…" He slid off of Cerea's back, hefting a blanket on his shoulder. "Well, let's get set up and eat some lunch. You've got be hungry after all that traveling, I mean, _I'm_ hungry and all I did was sit and watch the scenery."

As if on cue, her stomach let out a low, mournful growl that had Saul chuckling and Cerea blushing in mortification, holding her stomach as if that would hide the sound. "I-I could do with a meal, yes," she replied, refusing to meet his eyes.

Saul glanced around for a good spot and set off walking, throwing out the blanket on the ground next to a wide tree, only a few feet from the water's edge. He frowned, striding around the blanket's hem and straightening it out to his satisfaction, before sitting down and setting the picnic basket next to him. He looked to Cerea and patted a spot near him with a small smile.

Blushing prettily, the centaur knelt next to him on the blanket and accepted a salad sandwich from her host. "Thank you, Master," she froze mid-bite as Saul glanced at her slyly. "I-I mean, Saul."

"There you go," he acknowledged, taking a tuna fish sandwich for himself and sprinkling it with hot sauce before taking a bite. "This is a nice place, Cerea. You were right when you called this place peaceful…and the perfect place for a picnic."

Cerea's face fell when she noticed him adding the sauce. "Is my food not to your liking, Saul?" She asked softly, before clenching a fist in determination. "I shall endeavor to make my meals more palatable for you!"

Saul chuckled quietly, cracking open the bag of chips. "Cerea, I know herbivores like yourself are more sensitive to spices and such, and that's fine. I won't hold your species against you; that would be stupid. You don't have to change anything for me, and I would've put some sauce on my sandwich anyway; I like a bit of spiciness."

The centaur frowned. "As your Knight, I am supposed to serve you to the best of my capabilities, Saul. My wants do not matter, only yours," she stated sincerely.

The author gave her a deadpan stare. _For all her knightly qualities and honor, she sure as hell can be naive. That could misconstrued in_ so _many ways._ "But you're not my Knight, remember? We had this conversation before. You're my friend, and friends accept each other, faults and all." He paused, looking up in thought. "Not that being an herbivore is a fault, mind you."

Cerea sighed, slowly biting into her sandwich. "It is not that easy, Mas-I mean, Saul," she said quietly, looking down at the plaid blanket she was kneeling on with half-lidded eyes. "Being a knight…it is not just a hobby, it is a way of life. I was raised to be a knight my entire life, Saul. It is not something that I can simply give up."

"I'm not asking you to give up being a knight," Saul frowned, setting his lunch aside and reaching out to take her hand. With his other, he reached out and tilted her chin up to meet her eyes. "What I am saying is that I'd rather have a friend than a knight, Cerea. I am grown man, I don't need a protector. You can relax, take it easy and let your hair down."

The centaur nodded slowly, squeezing his hand. "I will try, Master. It is not something I will be able to let go of, but…I will try to 'take it easy'."

Saul smiled softly. "That's all I ask," he replied, patting her cheek. As they turned back to their lunch, Cerea slowly realized that they were still holding hands, her face gaining a bright red flush as she quickly drew her arm back and looked away. "You are so shy sometimes," the author commented with an amused smirk.

"I am not shy!" She denied, still blushing. "I just don't…"

"Don't like physical contact?" Saul finished for her, before frowning at himself. "Oh! I'm really sorry I made you hug me all those times; it's just, I really like hugs, my whole family does, we're all kind of touchy-feely and that can make people feel awkward-"

"Nonono, Master!" Cerea cut in, waving her hands frantically, "That's not it at all! I'm just unused to…to…" She sighed harshly, rubbing her face. "I cannot say it, it would be too…"

Her host narrowed his eyes searchingly, taking in her embarrassed flush, the way her hands covered her face and the disappointed slump in her shoulders. "Cerea, do you like me?" he asked seriously.

She stiffened in mortification, her blue eyes going wide, her hands gripping her sandwich tight enough to crush it into crumbs. "I-I-I-" Cerea stuttered, unable to form anything resembling coherent sentences.

Pushing himself onto his knees, Saul wobbled over to her and slipped his arms under hers and hugged her to him, noting that while they were both kneeling, they were the same height, so his face wasn't pillowed by her bust. "Hey, hey, hey, calm down. Deep breaths, in and out."

Her arms slowly came up and tightened around him as Cerea buried her face in his shoulder. He could feel her trembling, possibly from fear or disgust at him or herself. "I…am so sorry, Master," she whispered, clutching him to her warm body. "I should not feel this way…yet I do. 'Tis not proper for a servant to feel for her Master in such a way, but…I cannot stop myself from caring so…"

Saul sighed into her neck. "I think you're taking the 'knight ideal' a bit far," he said dryly. "Knight or not, you're still a thinking, feeling human…centaur… _sentient_ being. And you know what comes with thinking and feeling, right?"

Cerea shook her head, also wiping her eyes on his shirt.

"Really? I just said it, like, twice. Feelings. Ignoring your feelings for an ideal can hurt you more than the emotions themselves. You have them for a reason, and suppressing them never ends well, for you or anyone you care about…" his voice faded into contemplative silence, and the centaur got the feeling he had stopped talking about her. Shaking his thoughts away, Saul drew back to look her in the eye. "You understand what I'm saying, right? It's alright to like me, because, well, I like you too. I'm not madly in love with you, we've known each other for about two weeks, but I care for you."

"You…you do?" She asked hopefully.

He smiled with a wry twist to his mouth. "If I didn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we? It's kind of annoying that you bring up being a knight all the time and that's probably my fault, but I like that you have morals and a code. It's admirable."

Cerea sniffled and wiped her eyes, giving him a watery smile. "I care for thee greatly, Master. I wish I had met you earlier, so that we may have known each for longer."

"Well, you're not going anywhere, are you?" Saul asked with a shrug.

"Nay, I will not be leaving your side, not until death," She swore, probably unaware that could be taken as 'until death do us part', but Saul wasn't going to bring that up.

"Then we've got plenty of time to learn more about each other." He replied, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Which is exactly what we came here to do. That, and relax, which is kinda hard to do with all these emotional conversations coming one after another. So, let's sit back and enjoy this delicious meal you made, alright?"

Cerea hugged him gently before letting him go and nodded. "Right, let's…" she realized she had crushed her sandwich. "...ah."

Saul simply handed her another neatly cut triangle and uncapped some unsweetened mineral water. "No problem," and brushed the remains off of the blanket. Cerea smiled and scooted closer to him, letting the peaceful atmosphere of the sun shining through the leaves and the waterfall splashing into the lake wash over them in comfortable silence. "Want a chip? You can crunch it in the filling and spread out the taste a bit."

She shook her head, nose wrinkled in distaste. "I'd rather not. I've tried it before and it's too salty."

"Mm," he nodded, munching on his sandwich. "I like this place."

"Me too."

…

After lunch was finished and the leftovers packed away, Saul yawned and leaned against a nearby trunk. "I'm a bit tired. I'm just going to rest for a bit, and then we should get going. You should rest, too."

Cerea shrugged. "I am ready and able whenever you want to go back, Saul. I don't require much rest, I usually jog around forty kilometers for my morning exercise."

"Ah," Saul nodded sagely, "remind me to never do that, I would probably die."

The centaurian knight giggled behind her hand, before looking down at herself and unbuckled her sword. "Will you watch this for me? I must relieve myself." She asked with just a hint of red.

The author took the sheathed sword and leaned it against the trunk next to him, yawning again. "Of course. I'll just be here, take your time." He replied, his eyes already fluttering closed.

Cerea watched with a small smile as her host quickly fell asleep, his head lolling on his shoulder. "Rest well, Master," she whispered, brushing her fingers over his cheek. Shaking herself, she stood and clopped off into the forest to do her business.

As she disappeared between the trees, the water at the lake's edge began to stir, swirling together as a form emerged from the clear wetness. First came cobalt hair with a circlet of silver beads, decorated with a crescent moon, the fringe cut just above their wavering blue eyes. Their skin was a pale, delicate, almost translucent silver, with full cheeks and a sweet, heart-shaped face along with pointed ears. A pair of silver armlets circled their upper arms, and clothing made of a light blue material tightly hugged her prodigious bust and stomach, covering little of her breasts and torso, exposing a deep valley of silvery-skinned cleavage down past her belly button.

Her outfit had little white frills around her hips, before more tight blue clothing hugged her long, slender legs until flaring out into long ruffles below her knees, looking much like a mermaid's tail. A veil-like cape hung from her shoulders, and her hair extended to around her feet, where it ended in globules of water that rolled and spun but retained their shape.

Lightly stepping onto shore, the water woman tentatively approached the sleeping Saul, eyeing the sword leaning on him with interest. Slowly, carefully, she grasped his chin and tilted his head up to fully view it in the light. Taking in his features, she gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth as her eyes watered with a mixture of deep, engulfing sadness and barely-restrained boundless joy.

Cupping his stubbled face and smiling when he rubbed his cheek into her cool hand, the water woman gently ran her fingers through his short hair. "I finally found you…" she whispered, leaning close enough that their noses were almost touching. "My Knight…do you remember me? Do you remember your Dina? So long ago, you saved me, loved me…and died in my arms. Finally, after centuries of searching, I have returned to your side…and I will never let anything get between us."

"Mm…" Saul mumbled in his sleep, "Don't eat my laptop, computer bear…it's full of words and they taste bland…eat Leah's, it's full of porn…the spicy kind…"

As gently as she could, Dina cradled Saul's head in her bosom, softly stroking his hair. "I have so longed to hold you like this once more, my Knight," she murmured, joyous tears spilling down her cheeks that were immediately absorbed back into her skin before they could fall. "I am so happy to touch you once again…and when you wake, we can reunite…"

Dina looked up as the bushes rustled and Cerea emerged, taking in the Extraspecies woman holding her Master and her sword no less than six inches away from them. "What do you think you're doing, touching my Noble Master?" Cerea hissed, her knuckles whitening as her hands clenched into fists.

" _I_ am holding _my Knight,_ steed," the water woman replied imperiously, scowling at her. "Leave us to ourselves and go graze."

" _I_ am _no one's_ _ **steed**_ , witch," the centaur growled menacingly, wishing to take up her sword and part the blue-clad woman's head from her shoulders. "I am _my Master's_ Knight."

" _He_ is _My Knight_ , you equine wench!" Dina somehow managed to shout quietly, "He has no need for servants nor equals! He is Knight of Knights!"

"He is _my_ Master and _I_ am his knight! His sword and his shield, protector against all who would hurt him!" Cerea duplicated the feat of quiet but threatening yelling, "And that includes grabby liquid _whores."_

Dina gently set Saul against the trunk, before shooting to her feet and glaring at Cerea, her eyes swirling like twin maelstroms. "I am no _whore_! Our love is a pure as ordained by The Greatest Spirits themselves, you lying _blonde_ _cunt!"_

Seeing her chance, Cerea charged, tackling the blue-haired woman into the lake. "Get away from my Master!" She roared, throwing Dina half the length of the pool.

Saul slept on.

Dina splashed down, instantly reforming from the water with a murderous expression twisting her visage. "You dare?!" She shouted, all intentions of being quiet out the window, down the hill and into a car. "No one except my Knight may lay a hand on me!" Her hair writhed and lashed at the water around her, kicking up waves that lapped at the shore. Throwing her arms out, the tips of her hair formed into blades that lanced through the air at Cerea.

Remaining calm, the centaurian knight glanced around and found a good-sized branch floating in the water next to her. Taking it up, she spun it in front of her, deflecting the hair-blades away and gazing at her enemy with a level-glare in her icy blue eyes. "You shall not touch my Master again!" She called, flourishing her branch and taking a ready stance in the leg-deep water.

The water spirit's hair thrashed, whipping at Cerea again and again. The centaur deflected every blade as best she could, but the swirling liquid flowed as it impacted the wood, slicing through the thin material of her soaked shirt and nicking the peach skin underneath. "Death and time took my Knight from me, and even that has been overcome!" Dina raged, slamming her hands on the surface of the lake, the splash rising up behind her menacingly and hanging there on her command. "I will not let some wretched wench separate us again!"

She thrust her arms forward, the wave washing over her and thundering down at Cerea, who braced herself and loosed a powerful swing at the wall of water, separating it before her until the rest collided with her, sending her tumbling along the lake bed. Panting and without her means of defense, the knight was nearly helpless as she rose from the water, soaked to the bone with small cuts exposing her cut skin underneath, thin rivulets of blood staining the whiteness of her shirt.

"My Master…would never be with someone like you…" Cerea huffed, taking an unarmed stance, "Someone so violent…so possessive…does not deserve to know my Master's touch!"

Dina's hair fell into the lake, her eyes becoming glacial as her expression became one of cold fury. "I have given you every chance to surrender, you animal…" she growling, tendrils of water leaping from the lake to encircle Cerea's arms, pulling her down into a kneel. "And now, I am done being insulted by you! Your mouth will say no more, once you are buried in the silt!"

She waved her arms, pulling a wave of water up, shaping and compressing it into a roiling spear, hissing with furious power. With a shout, Dina hurled the lance of water at Cerea, the spear ripping through the air at the centaur's heart.

As it neared, the sound of metal sliding against metal rang through the air, and a brief flash was the only notice before a wide metal blade cut the lance in half, causing it to lose most of its power and hit Cerea with all the force of a gentle, if cold, wave. Given that she was already soaked and freezing, all the small splash accomplished was divesting her of her last button, causing her top to flip open.

"So…" Saul drawled, pulling Cerea's sword out of the water and leaning it against his shoulder. "Someone want to tell me what's going on?"

At his question, Dina dropped the threatening atmosphere and gasped, looking at Saul with sparkling eyes. "My Knight!" She squealed, "I knew it was you, and this only proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

The author blinked before narrowing his eyes at her. "Uh…Who are you?"

Cerea gave a quiet, unfriendly laugh as the water spirit slumped, drawing circles on the surface of the lake and muttered despondently to herself. "I knew he would not remember me, but it still hurts to hear it…" Dina straightened and looked him in the eye. "I am the Undine, Dina, your love from a past life! I have been searching for centuries to find you, so that our love may blossom once again!"

"O…kay…" Saul said slowly, giving Cerea a nonplussed look.

"She believes you are the reincarnation of a knight she loved a long time ago," the centaur answered simply. "Obviously, she is insane."

"I am _not_ insane, wench!" Dina shouted, "I know he is my Knight, he looks exactly like him!"

"You got any proof of that?" The author asked.

The undine paused, looking down at the lake. "I do, actually," she said softly, waving her hand as a bubble emerged from the depths, floating up to her hands. Reaching inside, she withdrew a small portrait, cradling it like a child as she approached Saul slowly, biting her lip and presenting it to him.

Cautiously, Saul took the small wooden frame from her hands, handling it gently, and turned it around, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. Curious, Cerea waded out of the lake and stepped behind her host, unknowingly pressing her bare breasts against his back, looking down at the picture with a gasp.

There, standing among a forest backdrop, a man in armor stood with one foot on a dead bear, a hand on his hip with the other on the pommel of a blood-stained sword. That was not what was so surprising; his face was. It had a bit of a beard and a long scar under one eye, but the widely-grinning man was a dead-ringer for Saul Dewitt. They even had the same shape to their eyes.

A silver-skinned hand gently grasped Saul's wrist, Dina standing next to him with a tearful gaze. "We were relaxing among the shade when that bear attacked us," she whispered, caressing his hand, "You leapt to my defense and killed that bear before it could harm me, and then you posed and insisted I use the painting skills I had just told you about to capture the moment."

 _That does sound like me,_ Saul noted, _except for the 'killing a bear' part._ "How long ago was this?"

Dina shrugged. "The years passed by in a blur when you died, protecting me from those who believed I was an evil spirit, but…around three hundred years ago."

"Huh," he said, "and you believe I'm his reincarnation or something like that?"

"No," she denied with a shake of her head, "I _know_ you are. Only you would have leapt into battle without knowing why they were fighting."

Saul glanced at her curiously. "And why were you fighting?"

"She was trying to kill me for attempting to separate you from her," Cerea chimed in, glaring at the water spirit. "She almost would have ended my life if you hadn't stepped in, Master."

"I will let nothing separate us ever again!" Dina declared determinedly, "And he is not your Master!"

Saul stepped away from the undine, back into Cerea's chest. "Wait, you tried to kill Cerea?" He asked, giving her a suspicious look.

Dina felt her heart ache at the gaze he gave her. "She tried to take you away from me!" She cried, tears gathering in her eyes. "I lost you once, but never again! I won't allow it!"

"She didn't know who you were," the author replied, backing away as the undine slowly stepped towards them, Cerea wrapping her arms protectively around his chest, "For all she knew, you could've wanted to eat me."

"What?!" The water spirit gasped in horror, "I would never do such a thing! I love you! I would never try to kill you!"

"But Cerea didn't know that, did she?" Saul asked, his question visibly piercing her, "You don't have the right to attack her for a reasonable assumption, Dina. How do you think I would feel if you killed someone I care for?"

The undine stopped, her legs trembling before she collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "My Knight…" she murmured, clutching herself. "I didn't know…I was so happy to see you, so afraid you would leave me once again…I'm so sorry…please, don't leave me again…"

Saul watched as the water woman sobbed, feeling a painful tug in his chest. _I never could withstand a crying woman,_ he thought with a grimace, handing the sword up to Cerea. As he made to approach her, the centaur pulled him back, looking at him in concern. "Master, surely you aren't thinking of going near her!" She whispered, "She could kill you! She nearly killed me!"

"I know, but I think she's genuinely remorseful," he whispered back, "And I don't think she would kill me, not after what she said. But you never know, so keep-"

He was interrupted by Dina crawling towards them and clutching his legs, looking up at them with pained eyes. "Please, Saulus, I'm so sorry…don't leave me alone again…please…"

He looked back up at Cerea, who grimaced and nodded. Saul gently wrested her hands away from his pants, causing her to sob even harder, before he grasped her shoulders and she looked to him with hope. "Listen, Dina…if you are serious about loving me-"

"I am!" She cried, flinging herself on him, Cerea gripping her sword tightly. "Please, forgive me! I will do anything!"

He shushed her with a finger on her lips. "If you are serious, Dina, then never, ever, do that again. You cannot kill someone, especially not a person I care for, do you understand?" Saul explained bluntly.

Dina nodded tearfully. "I do, Saulus, I do…"

"And you have to apologize to Cerea," he added, his face going hard at her incredulous look. "You attacked her with the intent to kill, and that is not something I will forgive at the drop of a hat. If you want to start on the path to making things right…apologize."

Gulping noisily, the undine backed away from Saul, facing Cerea with a blank expression. Falling to her knees, she bowed before the centaur. "Please, forgive my transgressions against you. I acted harshly and I will do everything in my power to make it up to you."

Cerea looked down at the kneeling woman, her eyes hard. "Stand," she ordered, meeting Dina's eyes. "I will forgive your attacks, as they were made out of fear…but I will not forget them, undine. If you ever act against my Master or me, I will end your life in an instant. Are we clear?" She growled, leaning close to the woman.

Dina bowed her head. "I understand," she answered quietly.

The centaur nodded and turned away with a huff. "We should get going, Master."

"Yeah, we've been out here long enough," he agreed, "we should hit the road if we want to make it home by dinner."

"You-you are leaving?" Dina asked despondently, "Will you not take me with you? Please?"

Saul arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, you can come along. Do you have anything you need to bring with you?"

"I do!" She chirped, diving into the lake.

Cerea tapped her host's shoulder. "Are you sure that is wise?" she asked, eyeing the water cautiously. "She is dangerous, Master."

"Well, we can't leave her here," he replied with a shrug, "I get the feeling she would follow us anyway. And as for dangerous…well, so is everyone else in our home. What's one more?"

The centaur sighed, sheathing her sword. "As you decree, Master. But I will not carry that woman on my back," she said, shooting the lake a venomous look, "That right is reserved for you and you only."

Saul shrugged again, "Well, she's a water spirit, right? Maybe I could carry her in a water bottle or something." He glanced at her, his eyes falling to her chest. "You're hurt. And shirtless."

Cerea glanced down at her exposed flesh and yelped, crossing her arms then yelping again, that time in pain. "Ah! Do not look, I'm not decent!" She cried, turning away from him.

Rolling his eyes, the author opened the picnic basket and retrieved a first-aid kit. "Lucky I thought to pack this, since shenanigans likes this seem to follow me everywhere," he muttered to himself, cracking it open. "Cerea, turn around."

"Master, I am not decent!" She replied in embarrassment.

"Cerea…" Saul started.

Flushing, the centaur slowly turned around, vainly trying to cover her breasts with the tatters of her shirt. "Master…"

"I get to take care of you, too," he replied, opening a few disinfectant wipes. "Now, hold still. This'll sting a bit."

Cerea hissed as he dabbed at her thin wounds on her chest and stomach, his warm fingers brushing against her skin. She found herself breathing heavily as he worked quietly, his intense gaze focused on her chest. When he finished, he gently wrapped bandages around her cleaned wounds, giving her a bit of modesty in the process.

"There we go." He said, packing the supplies away. "Your shirt's a total loss, though."

"Modesty does not matter, Master," Cerea said strongly, planting her hands on her hips. "I care not for whatever looks I shall receive."

"Really now?" Saul arched an eyebrow at her. "What was with all the 'I'm not decent' stuff you just did?"

The centaur looked away, her face red. "It's different with you…" she admitted quietly.

He smiled gently, cupping her face. "Well, I would feel better if you were covered, so here," Saul pulled his shirt off, handing it to her. "It's a bit small for you, but it should give you some coverage."

Stumbling over her words, Cerea tried to hand it back. "M-master, I can't-this is yours…" he leveled a blank look at her, and she sighed. "Thank you." Pulling it on, they discovered that it covered her breasts and a little more, leaving her toned stomach bare.

Privately, Saul admitted that he liked the look. "You look good," he complimented with a nod.

Blushing prettily, Cerea looked away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Master," she murmured, quietly eyeing his bare chest.

At that moment, Dina emerged from the lake, carrying a few items. "Saulus, I am back!" She announced happily.

Looking at what she had brought, Saul asked, "What's all that?"

The undine gently stroked what looked like a large rug in her arms. "This is the pelt of the bear you killed to protect me. We had it made into a cloak that we could snuggle under on the cold nights." She replied, smiling to herself, shifting it around to reveal a curved sort of bag. "This is the waterskin you carried me in when we had to hide me from those who hunted me. You always made sure I was comfortable."

Dina moved the items about and revealed the last thing. It was a sheathed sword, the metal sheath decorated with simple but elegant carvings. The blade itself was over three feet long and well-cared for, the edge shining in the afternoon light. "They buried you with your greatsword and shield, but I managed to keep this. It was the sword you defended us with, your first blade, given to you by your father," she explained softly, running her fingers over the metal. "I took care of it all this time…it belongs in your hands once more."

Nodding, Saul took the sword and sheath, humming as he noticed the hilt fit his hand perfectly. Sheathing it, he tied it to his belt. "Uh, we don't have enough room, so if you could…"

"Oh," Dina handed him the waterskin, "I understand, Saulus. Before I enter, could you…put the cloak on?" She asked hopefully.

Sighing, Saul took the cloak and threw it over his shoulder, fastening the collar with a silver chain. "Huh," he said aloud, swishing the cape behind him, "fits perfectly."

"Of course it would," the undine said happily, her eyes glittering as she looked upon his cloaked figure. "It's yours."

Saul shrugged, opening the waterskin. "By the way, my name's Saul."

A look of understanding crossed Dina's face before she flowed into the bottle. The author capped it and hung it from his shoulders, Cerea already holding the basket in her hands with the blanket on her back. "I am ready, Master."

Taking her head and levering himself up on her back, Saul got himself comfortable, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "You know, you've been calling me Master a lot today. You know what that means?" he asked teasingly.

"...what?" Cerea asked in trepidation.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I get to hug you all the way back home. But first, we need to stop by the Extraspecies office to get Dina registered. And I need to get this sword licensed."

"Very well, Master," Cerea replied with a small, warm smile as Saul hugged her from behind. "Onwards."

…

Rachnee was leaning on her hand, lazily munching some spicy barbeque chips while watching Miia fail to understand that running around in bright pink power armor wasn't the ideal for a stealth playthrough. "You're getting shot at. Again," she pointed out blandly.

"How?!" Miia shrieked, switching from her silenced pistol to a rocket launcher and wildly firing off four rockets, the loud explosions drawing even more attention. "How did they see me?! I was hiding in a bush!"

"You're bright pink," Rachnee replied, again. "Told you. Should've gone with the black and red flames, because they add +1 Agility when all the armor pieces are painted."

Yukio glanced up at the screen as giant horned creature roared at Miia's screen, then picked her character up and slammed it into the ground. She sighed quietly and turned back to her book.

" _Oh, Ladies~!"_

A familiar voice with a teasing lilt drew Rachnee away from her lazy snacking, Miia away from her unfortunate gaming, and Yukio away from her relaxing…booking, and beckoned them outside. Following after the Arachne, they stopped and stared in shock at what they saw.

"Your host has returned!" Saul dramatically declared, holding his newly acquire sword aloft as he sat astride Cerea, his cape flaring in the breeze as the centaur held her much larger blade up in a team pose that would have been impressive…if he had been wearing something under the cape, and wasn't sitting on a plaid blanket with a picnic basket in his other hand, which had a large bundle of brightly-colored flowers peeking out from under the lid. And if Cerea hadn't been wearing a shirt that covered only her bust.

So, while it the had potential to be impressive, it only came off as silly.

"Pffft…bahahaha!" Rachnee tried to stifle her mirth, but it slipped out from behind her hand as she threw her head back, her sweet laughter rising in the air. "You…you look so dumb!" she gasped, her cheeks suffused with red as clutched her stomach.

Far from being insulted, Saul smiled at the open enjoyment on their faces, and looked down at himself. While he was decently muscled and rather tall, he did not have the physique of a barbarian hero. Conan, he was not. Reaching into his basket, he grabbed a violet flower and tossed it at Rachnee. "Silence wench!" He declared imperiously, sheathing his sword and sliding off of Cerea's back. "Or you will not receive any of the gifts I bring!"

Giggling behind her armored hand and grasping the flower in the other, Rachnee gazed at him with eyes sparkling in amusement. "Oh no, I wouldn't want that to happen," she said mock-seriously. "What gifts did you bring, anyway?"

Saul dropped all pretensions of nobility, holding up the basket. "Just these flowers," he admitted with a shrug. "There was a field we came across that was full of blooming flowers, and I thought it would be nice to bring some back." Reaching in, he handed a bundle of violet flowers to Rachnee, light blue ones to Yukio, and ruby red flowers to Miia. "And just to be clear, I didn't get these because they were your favorite colors or because they matched your hair," he lied blatantly.

Miia held her flowers with a blush, inhaling their scent deeply while Yukio circled Saul, examining him and his new additions. "Beloved, where did you get this cloak? And that sword?" She noticed the bandages under Cerea's shirt. "Did you raid a tomb of some sort?"

"In a manner of speaking," Cerea answered with a shrug, "we came across an Extraspecies woman on our picnic. Apparently, Saul is the reincarnation of a knight she loved hundreds of years ago."

The very blunt manner in which she relayed that information spoke volumes of how done she was with the whole thing. "Wait, what?" Miia asked in shock. "How is that possible."

"Fucked if I know," Saul replied with a grimace. "She has some evidence, though. A picture that looks almost exactly like me, and the cloak and sword fit me perfectly. Also, she kept calling me Saulus."

Rachnee tilted her head. "That sounds like someone trying to make a name that sounds like Saul, but a little foreign."

The author acknowledged that with a nod. "That might be true, but it's also the German version of Saul."

Yukio glanced around, as if the woman they were speaking about would appear out of thin air. "Where is this woman?" She asked, looking to Saul with a curious gleam in her ice blue eyes.

"Getting registered at the Extraspecies Services," he answered simply, before glancing around and grimacing. "There's something you need to know. This woman, Dina, she was madly in love with Saulus; and since we're fucking time twins, that extends to me as well, and she can be a bit…"

"Possessive? Touchy? Murderous? _Bitchy?_ " Cerea added with a dark look, crossing her arms as the other looked at her in surprise, having never heard her curse before. "I found her touching Saul while he napped and she took offense when I asked her what she was doing. We ended up fighting and had it not been for my Master's intervention, I would've died."

Rachnee blinked slowly, her gaze fixing on Saul. "And she's coming here?" She asked, incredulously. "To live with us? Me, especially?"

Saul's face hardened, and the Extraspecies women simultaneously realized why Dina had taken him for knight. "I made her apologize to Cerea, and swear to never try something like that again," he replied sternly, "But, I also know that vows can be broken so, Yukio, I want you to keep an eye on her, please. If she tries to attack any one of you for any reason, I want you to freeze her solid and we can let Smith and the government deal with her."

"That's why you let her come along," Cerea announced in realization, eyes wide as she gazed at Saul with a bit of awe. "She's a water spirit, so she's naturally weak to a Yuki-Onna like Yukio, who can control ice."

The author nodded once. "Yup. Figured it would be better to have her in a controlled environment with one of her biggest weaknesses present to deter any violence than to leave her alone and have her showing up unannounced."

"Sounds like the gift that keep on giving," the Arachne commented dryly.

Saul shrugged. "I try," he replied with a smirk, before brushing his new cloak. "I need a shower. Or a bath. And I'd like to play some Destiny. New expansion's coming out, need to grind some Light levels."

"I, too, need to bathe," Cerea added, tugging on her shirt. "And dress appropriately."

Miia piped up, clutching her flowers. "Well, don't take too long, I'm making dinner!"

Saul blanched. "You let her make dinner?" He hissed at Rachnee.

She shrugged in reply. "She's been studying up, watching cooking lessons, I thought it was about time she got some practice."

The author sighed, rubbing his head. "Alright, well, let's give it a try." He lead the way back into the house, unfastening the cloak and hanging it on the coat rack, pausing as he stepped towards the bathroom. "Something's burning."

"Aah!" the Lamia shrieked, throwing her flowers in the air. "My stew!" And she rushed into the kitchen, leaving her gift to flutter to the floor.

Saul gave a long-suffering sigh, trotting after her. "Might as well make sure something's salvageable," he said to the others, disappearing around the corner.

"So…" Rachnee drawled, turning to Cerea with teasing smirk playing on her lips. "I noticed that Honey's not wearing a shirt…and you're wearing it, instead. Interesting. Did you two get to know each other… _intimately?_ Perhaps you played out one of the bodice-rippers you have stashed in your room?"

"H-how do you know…?" Cerea stammered, her face an atomic red. "No! As I said, I fought the undine and my shirt was simply a casualty! Master graciously offered me his shirt for my modesty, that's it!"

The look on the Arachne's face could be classified as 'smug', but that would be a massive understatement. "But that's not all he offered, was it?" She asked lowly, stepping into Cerea's personal space, a sharp finger slipping under one of the bandages and pulling the material taut, letting it snap back against her stomach. "With how well these are wrapped around you, you couldn't have done it yourself. Did you like it, feeling his eyes on you? Feeling his warm, calloused fingers rubbing over your skin so tenderly?"

The centaur stuttered unintelligibly for a few seconds before regaining her poise, though her face was still flushed as she slapped Rachnee's hand away. "Thou may have rattled me, wench, but no more. My Master simply performed basic triage on me, and that was it. So cease thy prattling."

Rachnee smirked, drawing back and crossing her arms under her bust. "It was simple question Cerea, no need to get defensive," she replied with amusement coloring her tone. "You never answered me, actually. Did you like it when Honey was touching you? I know I do. Especially when-"

Whatever sexual act she was going over-dramatize for embarrassment was interrupted by a resigned mutter from Saul of "Oh, hell…", followed a piercing scream from Miia. Cerea immediately sprang into action, dashing forward and into the kitchen while drawing her sword in the same motion. She found Saul standing protectively in front of Miia, and followed his line of sight towards the stove, where the pot containing Miia's stew sat…only, a blue, jiggling pillar was rising from the circular metal confines instead.

It towered above them on an even, writhing column of blue slime, topped by a thicker layer of dark green with three tentacles reaching out of it, tipped with yellow balls. Just underneath that, was a pair of sea-foam green eyes that gleamed with animalistic intent.

Cerea drew back her sword and leapt forward, roaring, "Have at thee!" in challenge and swung her sword down with all her might, the blade flashing through the air as she aimed to bisect the creature threatening her host and fellow homestay.

Her sword met the creature's midsection and it stretched with a comical _boing!_ sound, the slime's eyes going wide in surprise before the edge sliced through its body, the stretched halves snapping back into place while spraying wet, sticky slime in front of it; that is to say, on Cerea and Saul. The top half landed on the bottom half and merged seamlessly back together, and the slime took the stunned silence as a chance to flee down the drain, leaving behind a few gooey dregs.

Saul blinked, wiping the goo off of his face as Rachnee and Yukio peeked in the kitchen. "Now I really need a shower," he grumbled, looking behind to find Miia completely unscathed, his silhouette outlined by slime on the wall behind her. "You alright?"

Miia shakily nodded, leaning out from behind him to view the kitchen. "Ah! That thing ate all of my stew!" She cried, her eyes watering as she pouted. "And it tasted good this time!"

The author patted her on the head gingerly, avoiding the chance of smearing her with the stuff he was covered in. "Well, at least it didn't eat us," he reasoned with shrug, glancing at Yukio. "Can you clean this up, please? I'm going to take a bath."

Yukio nodded in understanding, stepping into the kitchen with icy mist flowing off of her body as Saul took a stunned Cerea by the arm, leading her to the bathroom. "I don't understand," the centaur muttered, wiping her face. "Slimes are the easiest monsters to kill in JRPG's…"

"If there was as much brooding and angst in those games in real life, everyone would need a knife twice the size of your sword to cut themselves with." Saul snarked, grabbing a couple of towels from a linen closet. "Or everyone would be out of job with all the improbably-skilled teenagers running around."

Before the bathroom door closed, Saul leaned out and called, "And can someone order out? Anything would be good, and there's a good pizza place on a fridge magnet!"

As Yukio used her power to freeze the slime and manipulate the frozen water within to peel it off the walls, Rachnee arched an eyebrow at the bathroom. "Honey didn't even hesitate to drag her off to a place they'll both be naked in," she pondered, before grinning widely and rubbing her hands together. "Excellent! My plans are coming to fruition!" The plan being to get Saul comfortable with the idea of harem and thus, multiple naked ladies. That is, multiple _different_ naked ladies.

A frozen droplet of slime bounced off the side of her head and Rachnee narrowed her eyes at Yukio, who gave her a deadpan look in return. "Don't be creepy," she admonished with a slow wag of her finger.

…

After shucking off their dirty clothes and wrapping a towel around his waist and her chest, Saul filled a bucket at the tap while letting the bath fill with warm water. Standing above the shower drain, he upended the bucket on his head, washing away most of the slime. Shaking his head out, he filled it again and grabbed a rag and poured some soap on it, getting it all lathered up and bubbly.

As he scrubbed himself down, Saul glanced over his shoulder at Cerea, seeing her doing the same while her sword leaned on the wall near the door, easily within reach. It had also been carefully cleaned of all remaining slime and was ready to use once more.

Washing himself once more and running his hands over himself to make sure he was clean, Saul tested the bath with a toe and found it to be pleasantly warm. "Master?" Cerea asked quietly, holding a brush in her hands, "if I may ask…I cannot reach the entirety of my body…will you help me clean?"

The author smiled understandingly and took the brush, rubbing some liquid soap into the bristles. "Of course," his smile gained a teasing edge, "anything for my heroic knight, who jumped to my defense against that terrible beast downstairs."

Cerea flushed, glancing away as he gently scrubbed at the remaining goo. "Thou doesn't have to patronize me…" she murmured.

"I'm just teasing, Cerea," Saul replied, making sure his hands weren't going anywhere inappropriate. "Truth be told, I do appreciate you defending us against that slime. It's really brave to do something like that."

The centaur shivered as he brushed down her leg, his warm hand holding her steady while the sudsy brush scrubbed away the slime. "I-It is nothing, Master, any knight would've done the same-"

Saul gave her flat look that she didn't see, but could feel burning against the back of her head. "Just take my compliment, please," he didn't ask, returning to his task.

As he moved farther down her body, Saul eyed her rear end and didn't that sound dirty, but his thoughts weren't in the gutter. _I've seen her from the waist down, and her torso just flows into her horse body, which would mean that her rear end is_ really _her rear end. I bet that would make sex awkward…and now I'm thinking about sex with Cerea._ He scowled down at his crotch. _Down, boy! I know I've seen plenty of the female form today, including the ethereally attractive water spirit who is love with me, and I've been riding Cerea all day (and dear god that doesn't help), and I touched her when I was bandaging her (and her skin is really soft, wow), but we are trying to relax! So behave and we'll have some fun with Rachnee later tonight. I know she'll be up for it. Or I will. Focus, Dewitt._

He switched sides and finished cleaning Cerea, dropping the brush in a bucket of water and patting her side. "All done, Cerea. Let's unwind a bit, yeah?" Having said that, he slipped into the bath and sat on the bench, sighing as the warm water engulfed his body up to his stomach. Which also hid another part of his anatomy, but that was simply coincidence, I assure you.

Cerea had much the same problem as Rachnee when it came to the bath in that it only rose below her legs, and kneeling brought it up under her breasts, but it was solved by her leaning on the bench with her arms, letting the warm water wash up to just below her neck.

They sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the quiet, relaxed atmosphere and each other's company. Loath as he was to break it, Saul spoke up. "You know, despite that fight and learning about a past life and that slime thing, I would say today has been pretty successful. We had a pleasant ride, a wonderful picnic and I got to the spend the day with a lovely woman," he smiled and reached over, laying his hand over hers. "Thanks for spending the day with me, Cerea. I really enjoyed spending time with you."

Flushing but smiling warmly, Cerea shifted her hand to intertwine their fingers. "I truly enjoyed our time together, Saul," she replied softly, "I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life, did I?"

He squeezed her hand gently. "Cerea, I don't need any thanks. Just that you're around is thanks enough." he said honestly.

The centaur gulped audibly, releasing his hand to push herself up a bit, exposing the entirety of her chest to her host's view as her towel slipped into the water. Slowly, she waded across the bath and wrapped her arms around Saul, pressing her naked breasts to his chest and engulfing him in her soft embrace. Though her face had never been more flushed, and her heart felt like it was thundering out of her chest, threatening to erupt out of her mouth, Cerea spoke. "Master…Saul. Thank you, for saving me. I owe you my life."

Their gazes locked and Saul felt heat rise up his neck and his heart pound furiously, licking his lips as his hands splayed across the firm muscle and smooth skin of her back. "There's no debt between us, Cerea," he breathed, though part of his brain was screaming at him. "I may be your Master, and you my Knight, but that doesn't mean I won't protect you. You're part of my family."

Cerea's eyes became half-lidded, her lips parting as she breathed heavily. "What…what if I want there to be a debt?" She asked with a sultry tone she didn't knew she possessed. "What if, Master, I want to repay you? With everything I have?"

He gulped, his eyes flicking between her eyes and her lips, his grip on her tightening as his blood rushed elsewhere. "Then I would be a bastard to deny your wishes," Saul murmured, slowly craning his neck up as his eyes began to flutter closed.

"So…don't." Cerea whispered throwing all caution to the wind and tilting her head down to kiss him.

Something gurgled behind them, their lips an inch away from each other. Pausing, their eyes slid open as the sound continued. Slowly, they turned and looked at the rest of the bathroom.

Rising from the shower drain, casting a shadow with the light shining behind it, the slime towered over them, gurgling and bubbling menacingly. Cerea's eyes went wide and she pushed Saul away from the creature, leaping from the bath to race for her sword…only for her hoof to land on her discarded towel and slip, sending her tumbling to the floor, where her head bounced off the floor and she lay, insensate.

"Cerea!" Saul shouted in worry, vaulting over the rim only to come face-to-pillar with the slime, who hovered over him, its sea-foam green eyes gleaming. "Uh…Nice slime…good slime…no need to eat anybody…"

The slime tiled what passed for a head at him, before it began to spin like a miniature tornado, a wall of water rising up to shroud it. It began to shrink, compacting on itself, taking an oddly familiar silhouette behind the veil of liquid. Then, with a small _woosh_ , the water cleared, revealing the form the slime had taken.

Saul felt his eyes go wide. _Well, it's been proven: Life is deliberately fucking with me._

Standing in front of him was the slime, but in a feminine form. It…she had a figure that many would envy, with long, lean legs and curvy hips, a toned stomach and breasts that could rival Rachnee. Her face was heart-shaped and cute, with a small nose and full lips. The green layer had formed into hair, two of the antenna-like tentacles hanging around her shoulders with the third hanging over her head, somewhat like an anglerfish.

"Uh…" the author intelligently uttered, "hi?"

The slime tilted her head again, striding toward him with curious eyes. He backed against the rim of the bath and the woman pushed him down so that he was sitting on the floor, before stepping over his legs and sitting square in his lap.

Saul wasn't afraid to admit that he jumped, the cool gel-like texture of her legs making a startling contrast to the warm water of the bath. "Uh, c-can I help you?" He asked nervously, on the verge of simply tossing the slime off of him and booking it.

The slimy woman reached over to the bucket he'd dropped the brush in and retrieved it, pushing it against his chest and scrubbing him. He blinked, not entirely sure what to do. Once she had decided he was clean, she leaned in and hugged him tightly, her eyes becoming half-lidded…exactly like Cerea's not a minute earlier.

 _She's mimicking Cerea!_ He realized, just in time for his head to be engulfed in a cool substance not unlike Jell-o. _What?_ Saul looked around inside that new place, quickly deducting that his head was inside of the slime, as he appeared to have been pushed inside of her chest area.

And then he deduced that there was no air right quick. _Oh shit!_ He thought, almost panicking, quickly reaching up and trying to push the slime off of his head, only to find that she easily resisted his attempts to free himself. _Wait…she's similar to Jell-o, which means she should dilute in water…or she could become Slimezilla. Ah, fuck it!_

Heaving himself up and barely hearing the surprised squeak the slime made at the sudden movement, Saul stood tall and turned, diving into the bathtub. The warm water washed through the slime, loosening her grasp on him and he pushed himself away, emerging from the water with a gasp.

Panting, Saul pulled himself up over the lip of the tub and flopped onto the floor, trying to regain his breath. Once he had, the author sat up and reached for a towel, wrapping it around his waist before scrabbling over to the still-insensate Cerea. He slipped his arms under hers, lifting her top half onto his lap and cradling her to him. "Cerea," he murmured, shaking her gently, "wake up, sweetie."

He noticed the red mark on her forehead and leaned down, kissing it gently. Cerea began to moan and writhe, her eyes fluttering open to meet Saul's. "Master?" She groaned, blinking slowly. "I remember being in the bath with you and we were about to kiss…did I faint? Is this a dream?"

Saul opened his mouth to answer, but paused as a thought struck him. "What would you do if it was?" He asked.

Her answer was to reach up and grasp the back of his head, then lean up and kiss him passionately. He froze at the move, feeling her plump lips move against his own before her long tongue slipped into his mouth to greet and dance with his own, his arms tightening around her as he deepened the kiss.

Suddenly, an image popped into his head. Rachnee, staring forlornly at him from under the lavender fringe of her hair, her red eyes watering and her lips quivering with hurt.

Shocked, Saul jerked back, ending the kiss between them. The sudden movement made Cerea's hand slip and smack her forehead and she yelped in pain, sitting up and rubbing her head. She glanced around the room, taking in the curious burbling the diluted slime in the bathtub was making, then her own nudity and the fact that her Master was on his knees next to her.

"Did-did we just…?" she half-asked, licking her lips and getting her answer. Cerea's eyes went wide and she clapped hand to her mouth.

Saul reached out and pulled her hand away, pulling her into a hug. "Hey, hey, none of that now. We were just about to kiss before the slime came up, this was just a continuation." He reassured, stroking her back.

"But I…we…we-"

"Kissed, yes," He replied, "It was really nice, actually. Let me show you." With that said, Saul tilted her head down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Cerea froze for a second, before melting into it. It wasn't as deep as the first and less passionate, but just as gentle and comforting. Pulling back, she gazed at him in confusion. "Master, you…you kissed me." She shook her head softly. "Why?"

Saul sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder. "I'm at a very strange place in my life right now," he admitted, feeling her hand hesitantly thread in his hair. "Relationships I never thought I'd have, things I never thought I'd experience…really, I'm just trying to live day-to-day."

The centaur nodded. "I know, Master. We should take this day-to-day as well."

"Thanks for understanding," he murmured into her neck, pulling away to smile at her.

Cerea smiled back, before glancing at the slime that was slowly pulling herself together. "What are we going to do about that?" She asked, reaching for her sword.

"Actually," he began, "I don't think she's trying to hurt anyone…not on purpose, anyway."

The knight frowned at him. "And how do you know that?" Before she understood all of what she had heard. "Wait, what do you mean, 'she'?"

…

Saul ran a hand through his wet hair as he led the slime, dubbed 'Suu' for the time being, into the living room with Cerea following behind to keep an eye on their guest. "Hey, ladies, there's something I have to tell you…" He trailed off as he looked up to find Smith staring at him over her sunglasses, Dina standing behind her with the waterskin around her neck.

"Honey, pizza's here and so is Dina!" Rachnee called, leaving the kitchen to find the staredown happening. "Who's this?"

Saul sighed. "I am so damn done with this day," he grumbled, before pointing at Suu. "Suu, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Dina. Dina, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Suu, the slime that was in the kitchen, but seems to have taken a female form."

With that said, he spun on his heel and stomped over to the couch as Suu gave them a cheery little wave. "What are doing, Honey?" Smith asked he flopped down on the couch.

"I'm playing my Titan," he replied, slumping onto the seat. "And I'm waiting for the world to make sense again."

Rachnee gazed at the slime, who was peering at her, Miia, Yukio and Dina curiously. "I think you'll have to wait a bit longer, Honey," she murmured.

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: And that's the chapter. A date with Cerea, the surprise introduction of Dina, and the long-awaited appearance of Suu, everyone's favorite slime that they would not stop asking me about.**

 **Kuro: It's only a matter of time before we get more canon girls. Mero anyone?**

 **Quite right. Dina is from the online Daily Life With Monsters Girls game, and she's one of two that will appear in this story. The other is a secret. How'd you like Dina, by the way? I've never played the game, but I hope she isn't too awkward a fit into the Dewitt Household. And that people understand that she wasn't just forgiven for trying to kill Cerea. That's going to be a big part of their relationship.**

 **And that battle between her and Cerea was a bit anime-inspired, if you couldn't tell. All dramatic shouting and fighting, followed by a surprise intervention from an ignored third party. Yup, that's anime all right.**

 **Also, as I said, Saulus is actually the German version of Saul, but I was scrabbling to look for names that sounded like Saul but foreign, I admit. So yeah, Saul is the reincarnation of a German knight from the back-when times. This doesn't make him the heir to an estate or anything like that, it's just another facet of his family's history. Considering that I, myself, have German in my background, it's not too much of stretch to imagine a knight in my history, is it?**

 **And yeah, Saul and Cerea's relationship advances a bit and they grow closer. Besides Rachnee and Suu, Cerea is one of my favorites. I did kinda flanderize her 'knightliness', but I thought it was appropriate for the conversations they had. I wanted to develop her character further and that allowed me to. So deal with it.**

 **Kuro: Of course…Sir Saul.**

…

 **O-O**

 **SAULUS!**

 **Ahem, anyway…next chapter focuses on Saul and Rachnee's date, and the very first lemon for this story, so be prepared for that.**

 **Kuro: Oh, we're prepared for that…**

 **Thanks for being a perv. And also, thanks to Kurogane7 and NorthSouthGorem for editing and being a sounding-board and all that good jazz. Why not take a look at their stories? You're already here, and I have some insider info that says their stories might get updated soon. Wink, wink…**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: No omake this time, NS went to Cape Cod, so the continuing adventures of Saul and Neseg will continue…next time! And next time…stuff happens. Probably improbable stuff. Definitely some funny stuff.**

 **Next up is Still Not A Hero, followed by whatever I feel like at the time. I haven't been able to refill my think-tanks, so progress is a bit slow-going, but it's happenin' baby!**

 **...I'm sorry for calling you baby. I'm sure you're a lovely full-grown person.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	14. Relationships Are Complicated

_I feel very much like a stereotype,_ Saul thought to himself as he sat on his couch, a plate of pizza in his lap, a controller in his hands and a game on the TV screen. He chewed on a bite of cheese, pineapple and olives as his Titan charged, kneeing a leaping Hunter in the face, sending the body rag-dolling off the side of a cliff. His character landed before breaking into a sprint and jumping forward, wreathed in blue, crackling lightning that exploded off their body, disintegrating another Titan and a Warlock in a shower of sparks.

"Nice one, Honey," Rachnee commented, picking a piece of pineapple off of her slice and eating it. "I've always wanted to get a whole team like that, but I only ever get one or two."

"Yeah, they never seem to group up enough," he muttered in reply, his eyes flicking over to watch the newly dubbed 'Suu.' She grabbed a slice of pizza and 'ate' it by sticking it directly in her abdomen. Not the way he would've done it, but he wasn't a slime, so what would he know?

Speaking of slimes, the name they'd given her was pretty unimaginative, being the first part of ' _Suu-Rai-Muu'_ , which is saying 'slime' in Japanese. While Saul had thrown the name out partially as a joke, Suu had answered to it. Well, 'answered' with a nod, she seemed incapable of speech, but was nice enough. She hadn't tried to suffocate anyone again, though she _had_ jumped on Dina after a while.

 _Dina held her hand out, fingers splayed, and the blue-and-green slime halted mid-air before falling to the ground with a soft splat. Smith had her hand in her jacket on the grip of her tranq-loaded gun, but was unsure what effect they would have on someone made of half-solid Jell-o. Meanwhile, Yukio was prepared to turn that part of the living room into a glacier._

 _Miia and Rachnee leaned out of the dining room and Saul peeked over the back of the couch as Dina gracefully glided over to the kneeling slime, where she gently lifted Suu's face…and slipped a finger in her mouth. Suu perked up and immediately began to suck on the digit between her lips, making quiet contented noises._

 _The Undine looked up and noted the surprised expressions sent her way, and shrugged. "She's thirsty," Dina explained simply, her other hand coming up to stroke the top of Suu's head._

" _How do you know?" Smith asked suspiciously, eyeing both of them suspiciously, fingering her gun._

" _Slimes and Undines usually have something similar to a symbiotic relationship; they can digest anything, so they keep our homes clean and in return, they can drink all they want. Though, I personally preferred solitude after I lost my Knight," she turned softly glittering eyes on Saul, who looked away awkwardly, and Cerea huffed quietly._

 _Smith relaxed, breathing out a quiet sigh and brushing her hair back. "Alright, what else do you know about…Slimes, right?" She adjusted her sunglasses seriously, peering at Dina through the darkened lens._

" _Well, they're called Slimes, but also Jellies or Flans, occasionally, and-" Dina started, but paused as Smith held up her hand._

" _Wait, wait, I need to take this down for a report," she grumbled, digging around in her jacket and withdrawing a recording device. Smith gestured to the table in the dining room and took a seat, setting the recorder on the table and hitting a button. "Agent Smith, Registration: 6-21-3-11-9-20, with Dina, Undine, recording information about a new species/subspecies designated 'Slimes'. Now, what can you tell me about Slimes?"_

 _Rachnee looked on for a second before shrugging and walking to the couch, holding two plates of pizza in her hands. "Here you go, Honey," she said with a smile, setting one down next to Saul and settling on her beanbag._

" _Thanks, Rachnee," Saul sighed, rubbing his face as the soft choir sang and his character loaded in._

 _I don't know why I flashed back to something that just happened,_ Saul thought confusedly, scratching his chin as his score loaded. _I'm sure that could've been used for something else._ It had taken Dina about ten minutes to tell Smith all she knew about Slimes, and then they had joined them in the living room with their food. Kuroko had thrown her legs over one arm of her chair and was leaning back, watching the screen out of the corner of her eye; while Dina sat demurely at the coffee table, delicately carving her slice of pizza with a knife and fork.

Watching him play Destiny was not the most interesting thing they could've been doing; but at that point, Saul didn't really care. All he wanted right then was to eat his pizza, play his game, and go to bed. Before anything else crazy happened.

Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.

It was an hour before Saul called it quits and turned off the game system, and by that time everyone was ready to get some shut-eye. "Alright, Dina, do you need somewhere specific to sleep or will a regular room do? Same for Suu." He turned to the Undine with an arched eyebrow.

"Ah, well, we usually shared a bed," she started with a fond smile, while the others turned to give her blank looks. Dina hurriedly continued, "Not that I'm suggesting that; but in lieu of any natural water features, a bathroom or water-proof room would work best for both of us."

"Well, we've got a pool, but that would be bad for Suu, right? So, bathroom it is," Saul agreed, rubbing his hands together and turning to Kuroko. "Can-?"

"I'll have it handled tomorrow," the agent replied tiredly, "Looks like my day is going to be busy…again. Yay."

The author smiled warmly and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate it, Kuroko. I'll think of something nice to make up for it, okay?" he asked; the woman turned to him with an appreciative look that turned teasing as she glanced at him over her glasses.

"And just what, do you think, could make up for all the extra work you've caused for me?" Kuroko asked sultrily, draping her arms around his shoulders and leaning in closely, "Hmm?"

He rolled his eyes up in thought, "Mm, well, I could let you use my bath," Saul tapped his chin and narrowed his eyes. In the background, Dina watched their interactions with clenched fists and a low growl rumbling in her chest.

Sumike flicked her hair over her shoulder with an amused huff. "You already do that," she replied haughtily, "What else can you offer to make it worthwhile?"

"Make you breakfast?" he offered.

"Same."

"Lunch?"

"Ditto."

"Dinner?"

"Ditto ditto."

He hummed. "Well, I've been told I give good massages. How about one of those?"

Kuroko thumbed her chin in thought, her arms still around his shoulders. "You know what, make dinner and a massage and I think that'll cover it. For now." She arched an eyebrow.

"Alright, deal." Saul replied with a nod.

The agent smiled mysteriously and tapped his nose before stepping around him, trailing her fingers along his collar. "Then it's a date," she murmured, her eyes twinkling as she pushed her sunglasses up and hid them. "I'll bring the paperwork around tomorrow. And I expect breakfast!"

"I'll have the coffee ready!" The author called as the door closed. Turning to Dina and Suu, he opened his mouth to speak, only for the blue slime to throw her arms around his shoulders and smile at him. "Uh…hi. I'll show you to your room, alright?"

Suu tilted her head curiously at him, and Saul sighed. "Can you let go?" he asked with a sigh. The slime simply burbled at him. "Alright, fine," he bent down and swept her legs up in up a bridal-style carry, getting a surprised grunt from the curiously light Jell-o girl. "This way."

He showed them to one of the smaller bathrooms, which had a tub that could fit three instead of sixteen, and left them there with a quiet 'goodnight'. Dina looked like she wanted to protest, but kept her silence and was only given a brief pat on the shoulder as comfort from Suu.

As he was walking down the hall, Saul stopped in front of Cerea's door. He could hear her humming behind the wood and the soft rustle of cloth as she cleaned her sword. Licking his lips, he knocked softly on the door. "Cerea?"

There was a brief second of silence, followed by a muffled clop before the door slid open. "Master?" Cerea asked, a bright blue eye peeking around the wood, "Can I be of service?"

"Yeah, can we talk?" he asked quietly, motioning at her room. The knightly centaur stepped aside and welcomed him in, closing the door behind him. "I just want to know what you think…about us, I mean. If you even want there to be an 'us;' I mean, there's my thing with Rachnee and now whatever the situation is with Dina-"

Cerea silenced him with a finger to his lips, her cheeks warm. "Master…Saul, I only desire to serve. Whether as a Knight…or as something more, I am simply happy to be here." She cupped his face with her large, warm hands, trembling slightly. "It is your decision, and whatever it may be, I will gladly remain by your side."

Saul stepped up to her and leaned against her chest, wrapping his arms around her waist with a sigh. "I don't really know what I'm going to do," he admitted with a half-hearted shrug, "but I don't want to string you along or hurt your feelings…it's going to take time for me to get used to all of this."

Cerea ran a hand through his short hair, her cheeks alight with color and a small smile on her lips as she felt him relax against her. "Take all the time you need, Master," she deferred softly, "As I said before, I will remain by your side, whatever you decide. Though…"

He felt her hand tense in his hair and looked up, seeing her facing away from him while worrying her lower lip. "What is it, Cerea?" _Man, I am so comfortable right now, I might actually fall asleep. Partially because of how warm she is, but also because my head is literally pillowed right now._

"Tis nothing, Master, only a selfish desire…" She denied with a shake of her head, her voice tinged with sadness.

"Cerea, I am being really selfish right now," he replied dryly, "I won't hold it against you. Which I am also doing. That is, holding myself against you."

The knightly centaur smiled slightly, her features radiating nervousness. "I just…I wish to…when we were sharing the bath, I…" She gulped, visibly steeling herself, "May I lay my lips against thy own?" She babbled quickly, crushing him to her chest in embarrassment.

Saul thought for a second, deciphering her spewed words, and it hit him an instant later. "You want to kiss again?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

She buried her face in his hair. "Yes I would quite like that Master but I would understand if you do not wish too, for I am a selfish Knight," Cerea murmured quickly.

He chuckled lightly, cupping her cheek tenderly. "I would like to, as well," he whispered, pushing himself up and meeting her lips softly. _Oh wow, her lips are so warm and soft,_ he thought distantly, feeling her arms lock around him as she returned the kiss, hesitantly but gladly. She moaned quietly into his mouth, the slight vibration adding a sudden dimension to their embrace that made his arousal sky-rocket.

Saul stiffened, his eyes shooting open as an image of Rachnee gazing forlornly at him, before turning away as tears trailed down her cheeks and disappeared into the shadows flickered before his vision, and guilt struck him like a bolt of lightning.

Sensing his disquiet on some level, Cerea ran her fingers through his hair and separated their lips with a quiet hum. "Thank you, Saul," she whispered, "For indulging my desires."

He gave her a small smile and kissed her cheek. "Same to you," he replied, stepping back from her. "I'll see you in the morning, alright? Sleep well."

Cerea bobbed her head in agreement and waved as he left, closing the door behind him. "Sweet dreams, Saul."

Saul rubbed his head as he walked up the stairs to his room, feeling shreds of remorse entering his mind. _I know Rachnee said she wanted me to get closer to the others, but does she_ really _mean that, or is that her culture speaking? And am I using Cerea's lifestyle to my advantage?_ He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against his door in thought.

He gave a yelp of surprise as the hard surface suddenly gave away and he stumbled into a pair of large, soft breasts. A pair of cool arms wrapped around his shoulders and Saul looked up to see Rachnee looking down at him with warm red eyes. "Be careful, Honey," she warned playfully, "You never know what you might fall into."

"H-hey, Rachnee," Saul slipped out of her arms, finding it hard to meet her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, working his socks off.

Rachnee frowned and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How'd your date go, Honey?" She asked lightly, a teasing smile curving her lips "Did you two kiss?"

"Um, well, yeah," Saul stammered out like an idiot, "More than once, actually."

"Oooh!" The Arachne bounced excitedly, her eyes glittering with victory as she rubbed her hands together. "Excellent! How was it? Was it wet? Sloppy? I bet it was sloppy, Cerea seems like a sloppy kisser."

His bewildered expression made Rachnee giggle. "Uh, no. They were pretty innocent as far as kisses go. Really warm, but not sloppy at all," he gave her a dry look. "It's not as if she stuck her tongue out and licked my face."

"That would've been interesting to see if nothing else," Rachnee chuckled behind a hand. "But that's good. Two down, two to…no, wait, five. Five to go."

"Five?" Saul balked. "Who makes five?"

The Arachne held up a hand, her fingers splayed. "Miia, Smith, Tio, and now the water chick and the slime." She rolled her eyes up in thought. "I didn't count the Undead or the Shifter, since I don't think either are particularly relationship-friendly."

"Christ, Rachnee, I doubt I could handle you, Yukio and Cerea, let alone five other women!" He protested, his face pale.

"You say that like you'd be going one after another, instead of separately, Honey," Rachnee pointed out reasonably. "All you need is a little practice and you'd have it down."

Saul leaned his head in his hands, sighing heavily. "Rachnee…" he started slowly, "Are you sure?"

She tilted her head curiously, her lavender hair falling on her shoulder. "Sure about what?"

"This!" he replied strongly, "You and me! All these other women! How do you even know they'd like me that way?"

Rachnee laughed and poked his forehead. "Honey, are you still hung up on that? I saw how Smith was hanging off you earlier, Miia keeps moaning your name in her sleep, Tio pretty explicitly wanted you for a weekend of what I can assume will basically be a sex marathon, the water chick attacked Horsey because she was near you and you're a reincarnation of her dead lover! And that slime was following you around like a pet, I'm pretty sure you could drop your pants and she'd go at it."

Saul arched an eyebrow at her. She'd made many good points, though she'd also ignored a few. "Tio might not want anything physical, she might just want to hang," he pointed out, "And Smith is human, you can't say it's a cultural thing."

"Oh, Tio definitely wants to hang," Rachnee agreed, "On a beach. Alone. In a bikini. With sunscreen and loose ties. If she really wanted to 'just hang' she could do it here. And Smith…well, you've got me there, I'm just hoping she will because I like her." She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Saul, Honey, why does this bother you so much?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "When I kissed Cerea, I keep seeing you…seeing you looking at me like I've just broken your heart in the worst way…and then you leave, just disappearing out of my life…"

The Arachne sighed and moved forward, wrapping him up in her arms. "Honey, I can safely say that when I see you kissing another girl, I will feel a bit jealous, that is true," She silenced his protest with a sudden passionate kiss, her tongue delving through his lips to entangle with his. Pulling back with a quiet pop, she continued, "But I will never, ever, leave you, Honey. _That_ would truly break my heart, and unless you force me out of this house, I'm not going anywhere. And even then, I'd break in to see you. You know why?"

He blinked, nonplussed at the idea of trying to physically push Rachnee out of his house and his life. _That's just fucking ridiculous._ "Uhh…no?"

She peered down at him, her face cast in a shadow, her red eyes wide and her lips pulled back to bare her fangs. "Because you hold my heart, Honey," she hissed, her teeth dripping with venom. "Whether or you want it or not. If you tried to make me leave, I'd tie you up and ravish you, again and again, until you gave into me."

Rachnee smiled gently, the threatening atmosphere gone as quick as it came. "But since you'd never do that, I cherish the time we spend together, and I know you'd treat the others right." She pecked his lips lightly. "Speaking of ravishing, though…when are you going to give in to my charms? Everytime we start getting close, I can feel you on the edge of grabbing me by the hips and driving yourself inside of me…"

She trailed off, her cheeks going red and her eyes becoming lidded. "I imagine it, too. After hours of kissing, licking and sucking, you finally give in and thrust deep into my quivering, wanting center with such force it almost hurts and I immediately orgasm from sheer relief…" Rachnee pouted outrageously. "Do you know how cruel it is when you clam up and pull back? You've teased me until I'm nearly blue in the face, and I'm close to just pinning you down and taking what I want. And I know you want it, too!"

"Ah," A shot of guilt went through Saul at her disappointed visage. "Sorry, it's just that…I want our first time to be special. I want to never forget it, ever. I want to take you on this wildly romantic date that blows your mind before we finally come together for the first time. You deserve that, Rachnee. You are special to me and you deserve a special, unforgettable night."

"Oh, Honey," Rachnee murmured, kissing him softly, "That's so sweet…but I am seriously holding myself back from shredding your clothes. I can't wait much longer. If it all. You know what, let's do it, right now. Off with the clothes!" she ordered, grabbing the hem of his shirt and tugging on it.

"No, wait! Rachnee! Stoppit!" Saul struggled, slipping his arms out of the holes and throwing his arms up. "Wait!" Rachnee paused, nearly vibrating with barely-restrained lust. "There's something I need to tell you!"

"Alright, what is it?" she asked impatiently, tossing his shirt aside and tapping a leg impatiently.

He sighed quickly, running a hand through his hair, knowing how she'd react. "Not tonight," he held up a hand to quell her protest, "Please, Rachnee, just wait until tomorrow, after our date."

"Oh come on!" she protested, "Seriously, Honey? I'm ready and willing! What more do you need?"

"I need to tell you something important, but I need you to wait until tomorrow, okay?" Saul asked, taking her hand in his and giving her wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Rachnee? For me?"

Rachnee pursed her lips tightly, her body trembling as she nearly screamed inside her mouth. Finally, she released it all as a large gust of air. "Fine!" she declared, throwing her hands up, "Fine! We'll wait until tomorrow to finally have sex! God!" She folded her arms and turned away with a huff. "Stupid Honey and his stupid romantic gestures…"

Saul felt himself smile at her pouting as he reached out and tugged on her arm. "Rachnee. Rachnee~" She huffed and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "You know how you said I hold your heart? Well…you hold mine, too."

Rachnee's shoulders slumped and she sighed softly before spinning around and embracing him tightly. "I'm still unhappy with you," she pouted quietly, even though her smile couldn't be removed without industrial equipment, "And I'm still aroused."

His hands stroked down her back, coming to rest on her hips lightly before he began to drag them up, taking the hem of her shirt with them. "Well, I _am_ making you wait," Saul reasoned softly, kissing her cheek then moving down a bit and nipping her skin, "I should reward you for your patience, I think." He dropped her shirt as his fingers worked on the buttons. Well, his shirt actually, but he didn't mind even a little bit that she was wearing it. It looked better on her, anyway.

Rachnee's eyes glinted with interest as his lips fixed on her neck. "Ooh, yes, you do owe me…" she murmured, grasping his face and pushing him back slightly, meeting his eyes. "What would Horsey say…? Right," she leaned down, their noses touching, her breath washing over his lips, "I demand satisfaction."

"Well," he whispered, pecking her gently as his fingers undid the last button and pushed her shirt back onto her shoulders, "I'll certainly do my best, Rachnee. After all-" He was cut off as Rachnee grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled his face to her breasts, a nipple impatiently guided into his mouth. He closed his lips around it and sucked lightly, a sense of satisfaction radiating from him as she moaned delightedly.

While he lavished attention on the one occupying his mouth, Saul brought his hand up to grasp and massage the other, the sensation of her silken skin warm against his palm. Her fingers threaded through his hair as he kissed and nipped her breasts, his warm tongue sending bolts of pleasure down her spine to pool in her core. Rachnee basked in his attention as he switched from one breast to the other, but felt it was time to get to _really_ good part and pushed down on his head.

"Honey, I've been patient," she purred, humming happily as he slowly moved down, pressing soft kisses to her stomach with his fingers softly digging into her back. "I've held back for you. Now, I think it's time you paid me some _lip service._ "

Saul could tell she was enjoying herself, and to be honest, he was bit excited as well. The stiffness in his pants made kneeling a bit uncomfortable, but as he knelt before like a goddess about to be worshipped, the soft warmth of her flesh intermixed with smooth chitin and the heady scent of her arousal strong in his nose and mouth as he kissed her lower lips; he found he couldn't quite care.

His hands gripped her lovely firm rear to keep her in place as she writhed, her thighs squeezing his head and her fingers tugging on his scalp. The noises she made, muffling herself with her hand as he eagerly delved into her depths, drove him even further and he brought an arm down, sinking a finger into her welcoming core. Her silken walls fluttered as he stroked them, his lips finding the small bundle of nerves at the peak of her lips and fixing on it, to Rachnee's vocal approval.

He gave it a rough lick, twirling his fingers upwards as he applied strong suction and beckoned for her to come.

And she did, gladly. Clutching his head between her thighs, she bit her lip and panted as her release burst from her with a force that left stars blinking in her eyes. "Ooh, yesss…" she hissed pleasantly, stroking Saul's hair as he lapped up her juices. "That's a good start to paying me back, but I want _more_ …"

Saul stood up, wiping his face and arching an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes and tugged at his pants. "We won't go all the way, you prude," Rachnee punctuated that by darting forward and licking a bit of the excess liquid from the corner of his mouth, humming at the taste. "But let's do something a little more _mutual_ …you tasted me, and I want more…but I'm not cruel, Honey."

Rachnee nearly pushed him down on the bed, quickly scuttling over the top of him and freeing his arousal from his pants. "Let me reward your hard work…"

…

The next morning broke with a pleasant yellow sunrise and streaks of grey clouds decorating the light blue sky. Saul hummed to himself as he trotted down the stairs, brushing droplets out of his hair as he went. He was happy for a number reasons; most involving Rachnee. No, wait, all of them.

Beyond the physical stuff, there was their upcoming date to look forward to, though the surge of warmth in his chest was tainted by a faint spike of dread. He had regrets and secrets, and while he knew with as close as they'd become that Rachnee would understand why they held him back, part of him still feared scaring her off, of seeing her loving expression twist into horror. In their case it was an impractical fear, really, but Saul couldn't help being over dramatic; he wrote fantasy.

He sighed as he entered the kitchen, the dark figure leaning against the counter and the fresh scent of coffee a welcome distraction from his thoughts. "Morning, Kuroko," he greeted, grabbing a mug and filling it up. The liquid warmth slipped down his throat and pooled in his stomach, a sensation he would never get use to but appreciated for the jolt of energy it gave him. "You're here early."

"Meh," she grunted into her cup, snorting in irritation. "I had to, the paperwork wasn't going to come here by itself, you know. And I should have waited for you to wake up, this coffee tastes like crap."

"That's because you're using the cheap instant crap I keep in case of emergencies," he pointed out, tapping the still-open metal container with a fingernail. "What, did you grab the first thing that had 'coffee' written on it and make a pot?"

"Yes," Smith grumbled, down the last of it with a loud gulp. She slapped a packet of papers on the counter and tossed a pen on top. "There's the registration for the slime and the water chick, and a consent form for modifying your house again."

Saul slid the packet in front of him, his eyes skimming the neatly-printed words quickly. "Are you going to modify the pool for Dina and Suu? Just fill it up about halfway or more with concrete and that's it. Seems like it would be the simplest solution, not to mention the cheapest."

Kuroko glanced away, scratching a cheek. "Nope, we're just going to build another room," she replied with a shrug that looked careless. Saul glanced up, turning his head slowly and fixing her with a narrow gaze. "What?" she replied defensively, "We're the Government, cheap and easy is our anthesis."

He gazed at her suspiciously, but she kept her eyes away and her lips sealed. He sighed shortly and continued reading the registration forms, signing and initialing where necessary before flipping to the consent page. It was much the same as the ones she'd signed before, with language focused on the house and that, but one word stood out on all of the documents: Ambassador.

That made him wonder: if all the girls were ambassadors, did that mean they had diplomatic immunity? It would be fun to say, if nothing else, but he sincerely doubted it; otherwise there would be a lot of Extraspecies crimes and no Extraspecies criminals and that would just be dumb. Besides, diplomatic immunity was for _diplomats_ and the ladies were more Cultural Ambassadors than anything.

He signed the last form and passed it all back, moving to grab a bowl and start on breakfast. "So, do you have big plans for your date?" Kuroko teased, reaching for the coffee and frowning as she realized it was empty. "Dinner and a movie? Maybe a romantic boat ride and a declaration of love at the end? Or maybe you're gonna pay for a firework barge to shoot romantic messages into the night sky?"

Saul gave her a flat look. "No," he grunted, setting the eggs aside in favor of running another pot of liquid caffeine. "Grand romantic gestures are for people who are insecure about their relationship. And Rachnee and I aren't the type to enjoy all the attention that kind of stunt would bring."

He turned away to hide the heat in his cheeks. The boat and fireworks idea was really close to one he'd had the day before, before he realized it was pretty dumb and kinda desperate. Sweet, maybe, but too sweet, like frosting-covered chocolate.

Smith waved him off with a huff. "Okay, fine, you want to be boring. Still, what are guys going to do?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

"We're gonna do whatever we feel like," he replied with a shrug, "Why do you want to know? You want an itinerary or something?"

She nodded, crossing her arms. "That would be appreciated; would make it easier to keep an eye on you."

"Smith…" Saul groaned, "It's supposed to be a romantic day with just me and Rachnee, I _don't_ want to know that you've got someone following us! Now I'm going to be looking over my shoulder all the time, like government agents with big budgets are going to be watching us from behind trees instead of a mile away in a van…"

"Which would be marked 'Free Candy,' so people will definitely leave us alone," Smith agreed with a nod. He gazed at her dully, then reached over and emphatically flicked the radio on. She chuckled behind a hand and strode out of the kitchen, opening her phone as she took a seat on the armchair. The sounds of clinking, cracking and hissing melded melded oddly well with the voice of an American talk-show host and the occasional rock song; it reminded Smith of sitting at the counter of a diner as the line cooks prepared for the breakfast rush.

The scent was a bit distracting, though.

There was a faint click as the front door swung open, admitting a sweaty Cerea with a towel around her neck and a large water bottle dangling from her hand. She clopped into the kitchen with a greeting, setting her bottle on the counter. "Good morning, Master."

"Mornin'," he greeted with a warm smile, stirring a pan of eggs as a commercial began to blare. "Good jog?"

"It was invigorating, yes," she replied with a nod, patting her wet face with the towel. "I hope breakfast will be done by the time I have finished bathing."

"Should be," he answered, eyeing her light shirt as it rode up to expose an expanse of her muscled stomach. "How are your injuries, Cerea? Do you want me to take another look at them?"

"Nay," she denied with a blush as she tugged the hem of her shirt down, "I am fully healed and ready to serve, Master."

Saul acquiesced, arching an eyebrow at her. "You're being very liberal with the titles, Cerea," He gave her a deadpan look. "Just because we've kissed a few times doesn't mean you can just go around calling me that all the time. And speaking of kisses…"

He pulled on his apron, showing her the words ' **KISS THE COOK (they like it hot!)'** written on it.

"Oh!" Cerea gasped, her cheeks coloring further, "Well, I, erm…I would like that very much, Master, but…is it appropriate?"

"Cerea…" he sighed, leaning on the counter, "If you want to kiss me, kiss me. You don't have to hold yourself back and I swear I won't mind. Whatever we are to each other, you can do that."

The knightly centaur agreed quietly, shyly looking down and playing with her fingers. With slow, hesitant movements, she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his, her face lighting up like a beacon. Her lips were warm and the contact was brief, as Cerea drew away, a hand coming up to cover her cheek. "I-I am in no state to do such things, Master," she said quietly, "I-I must bathe."

She nearly galloped out of the kitchen, only glancing back at Saul with a small smile before vanishing up the stairs. He shook his head, grinning to himself. _There's something to be said about making someone blush like that,_ he thought, _I can see why Rachnee does it._

He flipped a few slices of bacon before moving onto another breakfast item, namely pancakes. Eggs and bacon would satisfy most of his homestays, though he didn't know what Dina ate (if she did) and Suu could eat anything. But variety was the spice of life, as they said. As he mixed the batter together, Saul edged a finger with the mix and stuck it in his mouth. "Needs cinnamon," he muttered aloud, stiffening and spinning around to find Yukio standing behind him, the jar of spice in her pale hands.

"Here you are, Beloved," she murmured, passing it off to him with her long, cool fingers brushing against his before she stepped back. Her white hair was gathered into a messy bunch over her shoulder and the robe she wore was half-closed, lending her a 'just woke up' look.

"Thanks, Yukio. How are you this morning?" Saul favored her with a smile, adding a few dashes of cinnamon to the mix. The Yuki-Onna replied by wrapping her arms around him from behind, settling her chin on his shoulder and lightly kissing his cheek.

"I am fine, Beloved," she began, snuggling against him. "Though I must admit, I am a little jealous."

 _Uh-oh._ "What about?" Saul asked carefully, ladling the first batch of mix onto a crackling griddle.

"You sleep with Rachnee and I heard you leaving Cerea's room…but you didn't even come say goodnight to me," Yukio pointed out, pouting slightly, "I don't think that's fair…"

"Ah…" He nodded in understanding, reaching down to pat her hand. "I'm sorry about that, Yukio. I really just wanted last night to be over, but that's no excuse. I'll make sure to say goodnight to you every night, alright? And now that I think about it, I didn't say anything to Miia, either…but I think she's avoiding me."

"Mm," she hummed, nuzzling his neck, her cold nose sending pleasant shivers down his spine. "Yes, she's been quiet the last couple of days, but that's something you should handle yourself."

"I will, yeah," he muttered, distractedly flipping the batch. "Do you have any plans today?"

Yukio nodded against his shoulder. "I'm meeting my massage class later on, but nothing beyond that," she replied softly.

"That's right, your massage class," he recalled, "How's that going, by the way?"

"I believe the teacher does not keep score, but I think I am at the top of the class," she admitted proudly, her nose twitching at the delicious scents filling the kitchen. "Perhaps I can practice on you, Beloved?"

Saul chuckled lightly. "Oh yes, you can practice on me all you want, Yukio."

Yukio pressed her cool lips to his neck, a small smile growing as he shivered again. "I'll hold you to that, Beloved," she teased, before stepping back, "I should get dressed for the day."

The author hummed in agreement, setting his spatula aside for a moment and turning in her arms to kiss her lightly. "Breakfast will be ready in a bit, so don't take too long," he said quietly with a wink.

She favored him with a smile and left as he continued to cook. Saul had another two batches done before he felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest and he grinned. "Am I really that comfortable, Yukio?"

Instead of the Yuki-Onna's smooth, icy voice, the reply came by way of a questioning burble. Stiffening, Saul slowly turned and looked over his shoulder, nearly coming nose-to-nose with an innocently smiling Suu, her head tilted in curiosity.

It was devastatingly cute.

"Uh…" Saul said intelligently, "…hi?"

"Uh…hi?" Suu parroted, and he noted how weird it was to hear his own voice coming for the mouth of a cute girl.

Saul's face was blank as he looked at her, his eyes flicking from her face to everywhere else. "So…did you sleep well?" He asked slowly.

The newest homestay nodded agreeably, and he noticed that she was somewhat shorter that morning, and a quite a bit less…curvaceous. She reminded him of Papi, honestly. It took him a second to recall what Dina had said about Slime biology. "Are you thirsty?"

"Thirsty," she replied in his voice.

"I'll just get you a glass," he said, walking over to the cupboard with Suu still clinging to his back. He ran the tap, testing the heat with a finger before sticking the glass underneath the stream. Something cool and semi-solid suddenly suddenly engulfed the digit and Saul started, finding the Slime had stuck his finger in her mouth and was sucking the moisture off.

 _There is literally water pouring out of the tap,_ Saul thought blandly, discovering that, while her 'skin' was cool to the touch, Suu was warm inside, and the pleasant sensation of her tongue swirling around his finger was having adverse effects on his personage. He cleared his throat and handed the glass to her, surreptitiously stepping back lest she try to molest him.

The blue slime gulped the water down quickly, her form rippling and shifting into…a slightly older form. Older by about a month. _Her body's made out of freaking jell-o, of course one glass isn't going to be enough._ Deciding to cut out the middleman, Saul grabbed the sprayer from the sink and pointed it at her. "Open up."

Suu obliged and he aimed the stream at her face, spraying her with water until she more resembled the form he'd seen last night. "Is that good?" he asked cautiously.

"Good!" Suu chirped, bouncing on her heels. The bouncing of her own breasts distracted her and she looked down, jiggling them in her hands and giggling. Saul eyed her speculatively, his mind on her level of intelligence. _She's shown mimicry like a parrot, but she also understands the meanings behind the words, and is definitely intelligent. And I think she's the one who's been watching me for the past week or so. Or maybe that was the government._

He flipped his pancakes off the griddle and shut it off, handing Suu a pile of plates. "Can you set the table?" he asked politely, and the slime nodded before skipping off to the dining room. _She understood that, too._ Shrugging and deciding to keep on eye on her, he loaded up a pair of serving plates with food, turning as he heard light footsteps on the kitchen floor.

Dina stood at the entryway, her hands clasped in front of her. "Can I assist, My Knight?" She asked gently. His eyebrows went up as his eyes scanned her clothes, which, while being quite revealing, wasn't the strangest thing he'd ever seen, still caught his eye. She wore a white tunic-like shirt, with soft leather laces tying the top, the hem only covering most of her prodigious breasts, leaving the bottoms and the length of her smooth, milk-white stomach exposed. Conversely, she then had a pair of tight jeans with frilled hems covering the entirety of her legs, held up by a simple brown belt with a gold oval buckle.

"Uh, sure," Saul replied, handing off the plate of eggs. "Thanks."

"Of course, My Knight. I will do anything you ask," Dina smiled gently as she leaned in for a kiss, her lips puckering. Saul slowly leaned back, watching her awkwardly.

"Ahem…" The Undine jumped, her eyes shooting open before her face fell sadly, and she left the kitchen in silence. The author grimaced and sighed. "Why are women so complicated?" he quietly whined to an empty and uncaring kitchen. He sacked up and took the dish of pancakes out to the dining room, calling out, "Breakfast is ready!"

While there was no stampede, there was a mild clatter as Smith hurried into the room, followed by Yukio and Cerea, their hair wet from their showers. Rachnee joined them quickly, greeting her host with a kiss on the cheek and a small smirk directed at Dina, who was glaring at her subtly. "Smells good, Honey," Rachnee said, dishing herself up a helping of eggs. "I don't think Miia heard you, though."

Saul saw the empty seat and hummed to himself, standing and passing Kuroko the coffee as he stepped around the table. "I'll go get her," he said over his shoulder, walking down the hallway to the Lamia's door. "Miia, breakfast's ready," he called, knocking on her door.

There was silence for a second, then he heard quiet rustling and shuffling. "Okay, Darling…" Her voice was quiet and dull, as if she hadn't gotten much sleep…or had a pillow in her mouth. "I'll be out in a minute, thanks for telling me."

Despite the dismissive subtext, Saul stayed, leaning against the wall next to her door. A couple of minutes later, Miia poked her head out and glanced down the hallway, obviously checking for him and when her amber eyes landed on him, she sighed quietly. Her skin seemed to be paler than before, exacerbating the dark bags under her eyes and even her red hair seemed less vibrant.

"What's going on, Miia?" Saul asked softly, stepping close to her and reaching out. She folded her arms and slightly turned away. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," she muttered, looking away from him, "Nothing's wrong."

The author gave her a flat look. "Miia, you're not meeting my eyes, you look like you haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a week, and it seems like you're about to run away from me." He sighed, rubbing his face. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"There's nothing to tell," Miia insisted, leaning against the wall, "Let's just go to breakfast…"

"Is it something I did, Miia?" he asked quietly.

"No!" she replied loudly, before quickly covering her mouth. At his look, she relented. "Yes! I mean, kind of…it's not really _you_ , but it kind of is, alright?"

Saul began to speak but stopped, frowning. "…What? Is it me or not?"

Mii threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't know! Maybe it's you, maybe it's me, maybe it's every other girl who can't stay away from you!" She exhaled explosively, putting her face in her hands. "Maybe it's because I'm not them…"

He carefully put a hand on her shoulder, and when she didn't pull away, Saul stepped up and wrapped his arms around her. Miia rested her head against his chest as he ran his fingers through her long red hair. "Tell me what's wrong, Miia, please. Let me help you."

"It's…I'm jealous," she muttered into her hands, "Rachnee, Cerea and Yukio…they love you, and they're just…so much better than me. Rachnee can make clothes and play video games, Cerea's a knight and can use a sword, and Yukio's been going to classes…and I've just been sitting around. I feel useless, like I should be doing something, but I don't know what."

"You don't have to do it alone, you know," Saul replied, resting his cheek atop her head. "I'll help you find something, Miia. We can do it together, even. And if I can't help, Smith definitely can. Would you like that?"

Miia sighed, dropping her hands and sliding her arms around her host. "Yeah, I would…Darling," she said, taking a deep breath.

"That's not all, is it?" the author asked quietly.

"No," she replied, "What you have with Rachnee, with Yukio and now Cerea…I want it, Darling. I want you. I want to hold you and kiss you and sleep with you…but I can't."

Saul frowned slightly. "Why not? I'm not going to complain, and I think Rachnee would actually cheer. Or fist-pump, at least."

"I don't deserve it!" Miia insisted, pulling away from him. "I hurt you! I could hurt you again, on accident! And I can't…I can't do that to you, Saul…I couldn't take that."

He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, "Miia, you are strong, yes, and it did get a little rough…but that doesn't mean I'll break under a little pressure. I'm not a vase, dammit. I could break my neck rolling out of bed or trip going down the stairs." He pulled her to him, embracing her tightly. "I can deal with whatever happens, Miia. And I won't let you hurt yourself, either."

"Darling…" she pleaded, "Please, don't…don't…"

"'Don't' what, Miia?" Saul asked gently, cupping her cheeks and gazing deep into her wet amber eyes.

"Don't…leave me…even if I accidentally hurt you, please, stay with me!" Miia sobbed, glittering tears rolling down her cheeks. "I love you, Saul…"

"Miia," he sighed, but smiled to show that he appreciated the words, "You don't have to cry like that. I will never leave you." With his declaration aired, Saul leaned down and gently kissed her. Her soft, warm lips parting as she gasped in surprise before she grasped him tightly and returned the kiss with burning passion.

They parted in silence, gazing at one another with soft eyes. "Darling," Miia whispered, "Thank you…"

"Thank _you_ , Miia, for loving me," Saul replied, smiling when she yawned widely. "You're still a little tired, huh?"

She nodded sheepishly, rubbing her eyes blearily. "I think…I should take a nap."

He nodded in agreement, taking her by the hand and leading her back into her room. He tucked her into her bed gently, brushing her hair away from her face and gently pecking her lips. "Sleep tight, Miia."

"Darling, please stay with me…until I fall asleep…" She asked tiredly.

Saul clasped her hand in his and knelt next to the bed, slowly running his fingers through her hair. "I will. Sweet dreams."

Her eyes fluttered closed and she could feel herself falling into slumber…before a jolt ran through her body and she sat up, her eyes flying open to find an empty bedroom. Miia sighed sadly and slumped on her bed, feeling tears prickling in her eyes. _Of course it would all be a dream…_

The door swung openly quietly and Saul crept in, cradling a glass of water. "Oh, did I wake you? Sorry, I just figured you'd be thirsty when you woke up." He set the glass on her bedside table sat on the edge of the bed, gently tucking her blankets around her. "Go back to sleep, Miia," Saul said gently, kissing her lightly.

"Okay, Darling…" The Lamia replied, slipping back into sleep with a smile on her face. The author brushed his lips against her forehead and left the room, closing it quietly behind him. He walked back into the dining room and joined the ladies for breakfast,

"She's going back to bed," he explained, grabbing a spoon and serving himself some eggs. "She didn't get enough sleep last night."

The others nodded in agreement, though Rachnee gave him a knowing smirk. He gave her a flat look, somewhat ruined by the hint of heat in his cheeks, and she did a small fist-pump. Saul shook his head and focused on his food and the conversation passing between the ladies.

After they were all filled up, Rachnee and Saul stood by the front door, letting several jump-suited people pass by them with arms full of equipment. "Right on time," the author said, tying his shoes. Holding his hand out and smiling, he said, "Ready to go?"

The Arachne took his hand with her own smile and walked beside him as they left the house, waving to others before disappearing around the corner.

…

…

…

…

 **A/N: And done, damn. Kept you waiting, huh? Sorry about that. Life's been busy, man.**

 **So, this chapter wasn't the date, but there was some sexy stuff, so there you go. I wanted a whole chapter dedicated to the date, and this one was a little packed with more interactions than I thought it would be, so splitting up seems like the best. Don't want to overwhelm anybody or something like that.**

 **So, whatcha think? I thought the end was a bit cheesy myself, but hey, what's wrong with a bit of cheese? How else are you going to make a proper sandwich?**

 **Kurogane7: With few exceptions, I doubt you can make a good sandwich without it.**

 **Also, big thanks to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7 for their input and shit. Why not give them a look? And speaking of input:**

 _ **The Continuing Adventures of Saul Dewitt and Neseg!**_

 _ **As Presented by Soleneus and NorthSouthGorem, esq. (not really):**_

Explosions and the sound of gunfire echoed through the mostly empty house, and it was the first thing Rachnee heard as she opened the front door. "Hey, I think you're getting better at this," she heard Saul say, "Most of your kills came from headshots that time."

She smirked to herself and went low. _He's distracted by a game and he's on a mic. This is the perfect time to finally ensnare him!_ Rachnee creeped down the hallway, wrapping some thread around the tips of her legs to muffle them, and producing more to weave into a net. Silently, she came up to the back of the couch and prepared herself.

"Yeah, well, practice makes perfect an' so on," replied another voice.

Rachnee froze mid-knot. _That didn't sound like a speaker. Is someone else here?_ Slowly she dropped her net and rose, grasping the back of the couch and peeking over it…

To see someone seated next to her Honey. A stranger with unkempt, curly brown hair.

"Hey, Saul…I think we're being watched," the man muttered, shifting uncomfortably. Then he glanced over his shoulder and came face to face with eight red arachnid eyes. "Gah!"

Rachnee drew back in surprise at the wide eyes and pale face of the human sitting next to her host, who was watching the proceedings with what approached a smug grin. "Uh, hey, human…no need to freak out…"

He remained still for a long moment. His eyes flicked to Saul, who remained unbothered, then back to her. Taking a deep breath, he jerkily turned to face the TV again. "S-so...where were we again?" he mumbled

"Your Warlock just got headshotted," Saul answered with a smile, leaning over the back of the couch to kiss Rachnee on the cheek. "Neseg, meet Rachnee. Rachnee, Neseg."

The other man muttered something unintelligible, waiting to respawn.

Rachnee, eyeing the other human warily, scooted her beanbag over to her host's side of the couch and settled in, leaning against him. "I didn't think you'd have company over, Honey. Actually, I didn't know you had friends other than women." That Neseg didn't look any different from any other human, but something about him made the primal part of her tense.

"I grew up with three sisters, what do you want from me?" Saul griped good-naturedly, turning a knowing look on the Arachne. "Did it surprise you to find someone else here when you were trying to sneak up on me again?"

"Well, that's understandable, I suppose," said the other man, still not looking up, "Didn't hear anything. Just felt your movements. Oh, and I'm not a human. I'm a Devil."

Rachnee frowned, looking him over with searching eyes. "You don't look like any devil I've seen," she replied, "You're not tanned with wings, horns and a tail. And also not a girl."

There was a small snort, followed by a sinuous, spade-tipped tail that crept up over the back of the couch. "Don't have any wings or horns, but there're plenty of other Devils that just have wings.

"Yeah, he's not like the Devils we met before," Saul said, punching a Titan in the face, "They're more like Genies, with magical powers, a whole hidden society and ranking system, getting powers by making deals with humans via contract. They even fight Angels and Fallen Angels, too."

Rachnee gave him a bemused look. "And this doesn't bother you? At all?"

"Nope," the author replied simply. "I suspect their dimensional compression abilities caused a flyer with Neseg's contract on it to slip In Between and end up here, creating a bridge between dimensions which would mean he and the others like occupy a different universe entirely. So, as long as he doesn't bring anyone insane, dangerous, or insanely dangerous through, we'll be fine."

"You've sure thought about this stuff a lot," Neseg noted dryly, "But yeah, I'd say you've pretty much got it. Not like I can bring anyone with me anyway."

"Well, if only you can come through to this side, then that could mean only one person from this side to go through to yours, maybe through some kind of reversal of your contract," Saul said with a shrug. "And I write for a living, overthinking is my natural state of being."

The Arachne gave him a smirk. "Yeah it is," she muttered, bumping him with her shoulder. The author flushed a little in his cheeks and cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Hey, where's Suu?" he asked, turning around to look at the empty room behind him. "Usually she'd be sitting against my legs or trying to get into my lap."

Neseg twitched. "...Who's Suu?" he asked slowly.

"She was thirsty from the walk, so I turned on the sprinklers and let her go crazy for a bit," Rachnee answered Saul, pointing outside. The glass door was filled with the view a giant Suu, who was about twelve feet tall and looking like Tio's older sister.

"That's Suu," Saul said to Neseg, waving to the happily bouncing Slime. "She's a Slime who showed up one day and became part of my crazy little family. She's pretty sweet, but we never let her get thirsty. Ever." He shivered in remembrance.

"Yeah, Honey got slimed," the Arachne chuckled behind her hand, her eyes glinting.

"Don't call it that," the author retorted shortly.

Neseg blinked at the giant slime. "Huh. That's weird; one of my, er, co-workers has a Slime for a familiar. She looks kinda like that one. And has the same name."

Saul shrugged. "I guess being unimaginative is true across all dimensions," he replied, before turning a searching look on Rachnee. "Hey…why don't you party up with us, and that way we can play Strikes and all that together?"

"Ooh, that sounds fun!" Rachnee rubbed her hands together gleefully, but frowned when she saw that both systems were taken. "Oh, wait."

"Hold on a second," Saul got up and rushed from the room, and the Arachne turned to Neseg.

"I thought you were like a Genie, could you magic up another Playstation?" She asked curiously.

"I mean, I _could_ probably make a copy of this," he admitted, frowning thoughtfully, "But I've never really had to make a real electronic thing before, I dunno how well it'd do with online stuff.

"Huh," Rachnee muttered, "Well that seems kind of limited."

He shrugged. "I usually use my power to make other things. Modern electronics that rely on connections are a pain to set up properly when they're made normally. A device created from my imagination connecting to something like the Playstation Network? Yeah, no, that's not gonna fly."

Saul came running back into the room, holding another console above his head, the wires trailing behind him the tails of a comet. "I remembered I had another one of these in storage," he explained quickly, kneeling by the outlets and quickly hooking it up.

"Wait, you have three?" Rachnee asked in surprise.

He gave a sheepish look. "I might not have the most fans, but the ones I do have are _very_ dedicated. I said in an interview that I preferred playing on this, then I got one in the mail, two on my birthday, one of which was from my publisher, and another on Christmas. I gave one to Leah, hooked up two in case I got a roommate and kept this one case the others broke."

Neseg chuckled. "Talk about luck, huh? At least some good things can come from fans that devoted."

"Definitely," Saul agreed, "Now, just gotta recover my profile so I can piggyback off the network connection and recover Rachnee's and…bam, we're good to go." He jumped up and sat back down on the couch. "Alright, this is gonna be fun!"

…

 **And there you go, more adventures in gaming now with Rachnee.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next, though that one might take some time since i want to finish Still Not A Hero before the year is up and I'll be focusing on that. But it will come, you can be sure of that.**

 **Also, be sure to look me up on Deviantart if you don't mind my beginner-level drawing skills and P a treon if you want to donate.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 _ **Potest Non Prohibere, Non Prohibere.**_


	15. The Past is History

_**For Annie**_

 _Everyone has secrets. It's a fact of life. Sometimes, it might be about that time you snagged the last oatmeal-raisin cookie at school and let some other kid take the fall. Others, it's about the time you covered for a friend by praying with his hard-core religious parents while he had sex with his boyfriend down in the basement; no pun intended._

 _Sometimes, though, there's a secret you never want to speak aloud by yourself, let alone tell anyone else. Those kinds of secrets…they ruin relationships. I've been in three relationships, a few more if you count school time crushes, but three overall. The first was a girl named Abby; we were seventeen, just out of highschool, living together for the first time in a shared apartment and sharing the highs and lows in the first real relationship either of us had ever had._

 _We were never in love and never expected to be; it was never going to be a permanent, 'one true love' type deal. We parted eight months later, more experienced and still friends._

 _I haven't talked to her in a while. I follow her on Facebook, though._

 _The second one…I don't talk about it._

 _And the third is why I don't talk about the second._

 _Before Rachnee came into my life like a beautiful storm with spider parts, I'd been single with the occasional mingle for five years. I'd focused on my writing for a long time, and by the time the whole Extraspecies thing had been revealed, I'd been feeling the cold fingers of loneliness. The big house with one guy living in it certainly didn't help._

 _Really, being with Rachnee is like stepping out into the dawn sunlight after months of sitting outside in the middle of the night. I want to embrace the sensations, but I've been hesitant. Even though she's made it clear she's not leaving, it's still a fear. I don't know if it's unreasonable or not, but my secrets…they're bad. I still feel guilty about them, wondering if I could've changed things._

 _I'm going to tell her today, before it's too late. I just hope this isn't another regret. I don't know if I could take that._

…

With the warm light of the sun playing on his skin and the cool breeze brushing passed, with Rachnee at his side on a date, Saul would've been thinking this was the best day ever. Instead…

 _Don't be a bitch and take her hand,_ he told himself, _You've gone way beyond holding hands before, this isn't your first date and you don't give a shit that you're in public; so, stop letting your nerves take over, stop being a bitch and take her hand._

Mentally stamping down his nerves, Saul reached over with forced casualness, slipping his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers; relaxing slightly at the smooth feel of her chitin-like skin. He flushed slightly at the searching look she gave him. "I can smell the burning," she commented with teasing tilt to her lips, "You must be thinking hard."

"Yeah, sorry," he said, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "I'm just being a little dumb right now."

Rachnee shrugged, "About the not sleeping together until you drop this revelation on me? Yeah, it's a little dumb," she sent him a quick glare, before a small smile took its place. "But I won't lie, I'm enjoying this. Speaking of 'this', what're we doing?"

"Besides walking and being stupid?" He replied with a grin,"I figured we could walk through the market, pick up some food, take a stroll through the park, find some free space near the water and have a picnic. Maybe some cuddles, too."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," the Arachne hummed appreciatively, sniffing the air. "And that smell; what is it?"

Saul took a whiff and licked his lips. "Freshly-made takoyaki, I'd say. Want some?"

"Yes, please," she said, squeezing his hand gently. They made their way to the stand, where the owner was just handing off a box to a girl and taking a handful of coins in return. His eyes widened at Rachnee's appearance, but he shook it off admirably and greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome! You want some fresh, hot takoyaki? Just made, very delicious!"

"Yeah, a big box, please," the author replied with a smile. "Nice day for a walk."

"Oh, yes, a great day for a walk," the cook agreed, before winking. "Great day for a date, too."

He handed Saul a box and took his payment with a quick bow, and the two went on their way. As they walked, the two picked out a few more dishes; some rice balls with tuna and pickled ginger and a tray of assorted sushi pieces. And as a treat, Saul made a quick stop in a sweet shop and picked up some mochi, along with a few cans of tea; green for Rachnee and jasmine for himself.

Properly kitted out for a picnic, the couple made their way to the park, passing families and other pairs on the way, even getting a tip of the hat from a policeman on a bicycle as he drove by. Since it was the middle of the day and a nice one at that, it took awhile for them to find an empty spot; but they managed to settle down near the water, under the shade of a nearby tree.

Saul flipped open the take-out box and took a bite of the round cake, humming appreciatively at the burst of flavor and chewy pieces of octopus. "This is really good!" he enthused thickly, holding out the other half to Rachnee, "Try it."

His date chuckled at the ridiculous way his face looked, leaning forward to take the proffered bite. Her lips brushed his fingers as her mouth closed around it, and the contented hum she let was somewhat arousing. "Ooh, you're right," the Arachne agreed, smiling. "What about the sushi? How's that?"

The human picked up a piece topped with tuna and sprinkled it with soy sauce. "It's not bad, as far as sushi goes, but it's not the best I've had. Here," he offered, shivering slightly when her tongue brushed against his fingertips. "You're doing that on purpose."

"Oh no, I wouldn't possibly tease you like that, Honey," Rachnee smirked, licking her lips and not even trying to play innocent. "It's just not in my nature. What do you think of the rice balls?"

Saul paused, an onigiri halfway to his mouth. "Are you making me taste everything before you try it?"

She shook her head, "I'm making you feed me," was her reply.

He shrugged after a second and took a bite. "A'right," he mumbled, "it's pretty good. The ginger's not too powerful and the tuna's not too dry; all in all, a tasty rice ball. Open!"

Rachnee opened her mouth and accepted the white and slightly salty offering on her tongue, chewing with a quiet hum. "You know, I still don't understand why they call them rice 'balls' when they're more like cakes. Oval rice cakes." She thought for a second. "Doesn't exactly have the same ring, I guess."

"Maybe because actual balls would roll around in your hand and be hard to get your mouth around-alright, I should've realized how dirty that sounds before I said it," he admitted with a sigh while Rachnee giggled around a mouthful of sushi. "It's odd; I've lived in areas _known_ for their seafood, Seattle and now Japan, for _years,_ but I rarely buy it. It just never occurs to me until moments like this."

"Perhaps because you're focusing on the multitude of sexy ladies vying for your attention?" Rachnee offered slyly, pushing her prodigious chest up into greater prominence, her dark purple blouse straining slightly.

Saul shrugged, his eyes on her breasts. "Yeah, maybe," his eyes met hers and he winked, leaning into her side and offering another food item. "More?"

She smiled widely and opened her mouth. "Of course." Her arm slipped around his waist comfortably and they settled into a half-embrace, sharing their food and drink along with their cuddles.

Before long, their lunch had been finished and although the box of mochi beckoned, something else did more.

Her tongue tasted of the meal they just had, with a faint hint of honey from her venom. Her hand rested at the crook of his neck, alternating between running her fingers through his hair, tracing patterns on his neck with her nails or rubbing his shoulder. His hand rested on her hip, occasionally rising to stroke the curve of her side, running his palm against the smooth warmth of her bare skin before gently cupping the side of her breast through her blouse, but never going any farther.

Rachnee's sharp fingers lingered on his cheek before sliding down his neck, smiling to herself when Saul shivered and groaned lowly into her mouth. Her hand continued the journey down his arm to his hip, before crossing over and landing on her target: his zipper. She had it halfway down before the author realized what she was doing. His hand descended on her wrist and her prize was denied once again. "Rachnee, wait…"

The Arachne pulled back with a huff, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes."Wait for _what_ , Saul?" She asked around grit teeth. "Laying in the shade of a tree, the cool breeze on hot skin; this is the _perfect_ moment! What do we _possibly_ need to wait for?!"

Saul sat up, licking his lips and running his hands through his hair. He tried to speak, only for it to come out in a series of awkward stutters that ended with a dry cough. The author took a deep draught of his tea and a deep breath. "There's something I need to tell you, something I've been keeping secret," he began, nervously drying his palms on his pants. "I believe that people, when they're in a relationship, shouldn't have secrets -big ones- that they keep to themselves and I want this to work Rachnee. I love you and I don't…"

He gulped noisily, jumping when she took his hand. "Saul, you don't have to-"

"I do," he cut across, sighing heavily, "If I don't say it now, I never will. I never thought I would _actually_ say it to someone else, because, frankly, I always thought I'd end up alone."

Rachnee folded her hands in her lap uncomfortably. "Go ahead," she said quietly.

Saul took a very deep breath, rubbing his face hard enough that it gained a tint of red. "Alright. A long time ago, several years, I'd just gotten out of my first relationship with a girl named Abby. She was a nice girl and we experimented, learning what we liked and didn't, getting more experience and that sort of thing." He smiled fondly. "We were good as friends and better as partners, but beyond sex, it wasn't going anywhere and we both knew it. I wouldn't say we broke up because we were never really together, but we separated and moved on with our lives. I dated for a few months, nothing serious happened…until I met _her_ …"

So sad and angry was his expression that Rachnee immediately reached out to grab his hand. "Honey…"

He gave a thin smile that would be better classified as a pained grimace. "Her name was Sarah Reed. She was studying to be a teacher, but was looking for romance, too. The first time I met her, I was amazed such a beautiful creature not only existed, but was interested in _me_ , of all people. I'd just started writing and taking close-quarters-combat training, and that was really all that was interesting about me." Saul closed his eyes and sighed quietly. "I thought she was perfect."

Rachnee bit her lip, refraining from speaking out and instead taking a deep breath.

"For a while, things were fine - better than fine, actually. We moved in together after a couple of months and it felt like we were heading straight towards a lifelong commitment." He sighed. "As time went by, I started feeling wrong, like I was being watched…but whenever I checked, I didn't find anything. When I was alone, or with her, or at work, there was this constant itch at the back of my neck. When I asked her about it, she said she hadn't seen anything suspicious or _felt_ weird at all. I thought I was going crazy."

Saul rubbed his eyes, breathing heavily. "It got worse. Everyone I could see looked like an enemy to me, every person had some sort of plan to kidnap or kill me, even random strangers just walking down the street. My friends thought I was crazy, _I_ thought I was crazy, but Sarah didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to get happier the more paranoid I got, which set off some alarm bells in my head. I started following her, trying to see what she was doing, if she was the one doing this to me…"

"What did you find?" The Arachne asked softly.

"That time? Absolutely nothing. I didn't find anything else the next eight times, either." He shook his head, his cheeks alight with shame. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I was turning into a jealous, paranoid stalker. I followed her every chance I got, learning her schedule, all her friends, tracking her by her phone…honestly, I was a really creepy bastard, then. I hated myself and everyone else, except for her. And then…my sister came to visit."

The reveal was said in the same ashamed voice as the rest that it took Rachnee a few seconds to process it. "And…that was…bad?"

Saul shrugged. "Actually, it really helped, but she tried to surprise me and I nearly punched her. Not my proudest moment." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Luckily, I was surprised and she was fast, so I missed her entirely. I grew up with her, so she knew something was wrong and took it upon herself to do some digging. She was the one who blew it wide open."

"What'd she find?" She asked in trepidation.

"Sarah was behind it all," he admitted slowly. "She put cameras in our apartment, in every room, was watching me every time she was gone, and after I knew, I managed to sneak out and get my hands on her personal diary. It…she _wanted_ me to be a stalker, she _wanted_ me to be so dependent on her that I was…she didn't want a boyfriend, she wanted a _puppy_. And I was too blind to see how badly she was twisting me." Saul turned an incredulous look on Rachnee. "How can people like that _exist?_ _Why_ do they exist? It's like something out a book or a movie, but…it actually happened. And to me."

Rachnee sat up slowly, her eyes widening. "That's why you connected with me so quickly," she realized, "And with the others. You know what it's like to be thought of as less than a person - as an animal."

Saul blinked, his mouth opening. "…Huh. I didn't think of it that way. But, needless to say, it ended badly. I didn't throw anything or even shout though I definitely wanted to, I was just…tired. And sad and betrayed. I took my stuff and moved out. I started getting therapy, trying to put my life back together, and it wasn't easy. Honestly, something like that isn't something you just…get over."

He trailed off, sighing deeply and rubbing his face. Rachnee reached out and took his hand, intertwining their fingers and leaning forward to look him in the eye. "Saul…thank you for telling this to me. I know it was hard for you, but I'm happy I know you better and I want you to know that my feelings haven't changed. If anything, I love you more."

With that said, she grasped the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. While it was warm and soft, Rachnee could detect his hesitance, and pulled back slowly. "…I wasn't finished," he muttered, gulping quietly.

"What else could there be?" She asked with a dawning sense of dread.

"You've seen enough movies and TV to hear 'The Big Brother Speech'," he replied, rubbing his hands on his pants. "Hell, I did when my older sister started dating, and when my younger sister did, too. 'Break her heart and I'll break your legs' is usually how it goes, and it just so happened that Sarah had a brother who had a few shady connections. When she came running to him, crying about how her boyfriend had suddenly dumped her for no good reason, he was understandably upset."

"But you had a good reason," Rachnee insisted, "She was crazy!"

The author shrugged. "He didn't know that, all he knew was that I was responsible for making his sister cry; and for that, I needed to pay. He had some shady connections, but he wasn't any sort of criminal mastermind. He just knew a few guys who wouldn't mind smacking someone around for a few bucks." He paused and hummed. "And to be fair, he only wanted to rough me up, not…what happened."

Saul bit his lip, his face going ashen and his eyes growing red. "Honey?" Rachnee asked quietly. "I don't like what this is doing to you. You don't have to tell me if it causes you this much pain."

"I do, though," he choked out, breathing heavily. "A few weeks after we broke up, I was attacked by two guys. They weren't the brightest bulbs in the drawer, going after me in broad daylight, but they did anyway. One of them had a bat, an old wooden one that had seen a lot of use. He went after me first, swinging away like he wanted to crack off a homerun on my skull. He overswung and I ducked, letting him hit a lamppost and stunning him. I didn't know about the second one until he came up behind me and stabbed me in the side."

"…Stabbed?" She murmured. "You were _stabbed?"_

Saul lifted his shirt, showing her the left side of his torso. A thin, silvery scar rested on his skin, halfway between his shoulder and his waist. It was about an inch wide and was thicker at one end. "I think he was trying to go for a kidney shot, but he missed by about an inch. If he hadn't, I would've died. I've never been shot before, but being stabbed was the worst kind of pain I'd ever felt," he shuddered, grimacing in remembrance. "He yanked it out and went at me again, flailing around with this piece of crap switchblade. I'd trained to disarm, but I'd never used it before, so I just tried to keep away and let him tire himself out."

 _The blade flashed in the afternoon light, flecks of blood flying from the edge as he slashed it Saul, again and again with a furious, insane gleam in his eyes. Panting, Saul jumped back from another series of swings, his back bumping against the stone exterior of a building. The attacker lunged with a yell and swung; the author had nowhere to go and tried to duck, but the tip caught the corner of his mouth, a splash of red falling to the pavement._

 _A few feet away, the other attacker watched with wide eyes, clutching his bat like a lifeline and occasionally squeaking. This was not how it was supposed to go; they were supposed to beat Saul up a little, warn him against ever going near that chick ever again, not try and kill him!_

 _Saul grit his teeth in pain, his eyes flashing with rage as the other man let out a triumphant shout and drove his knife forward. The author caught his wrist with both hands and twisted, snapping something and causing the knife-wielder to yell in pain._

 _The author moved his right hand over and grasped his attacker's throat, hooking a foot around the man's ankle and spun, his side screaming in protest._

 _The man's head hit the wall and something broke; it wasn't the bricks. His eyes went wide, as did Saul's, who stepped back in shock. The man leaned against the wall, confusion on his face until it went slack and he slid to the ground, leaving a trail of blood gleaming on the stone._

Rachnee's mouth fell open, staring at Saul incomprehensibly, even as his face twisted and tears ran down his face. "You…you killed him?"

He nodded slowly, releasing a shuddering sob. "I didn't…I was so on edge, so…caught up in the fight that I…killed him." He turned to her with pleading eyes. "Rachnee, I never meant to kill him, I was hurt and angry and I just…I wanted him to stop."

The Arachne licked her lips, gazing out over the lake with narrowed eyes. "What happened afterward?" She finally asked.

"The other guy surrendered when the police pulled up," he continued shakily, "and I was taken to the hospital to get my wounds treated. The investigators took my statement, and with the other guy's testimony and footage from the security cameras around the building, it was ruled as defensive. When Sarah's brother found out, he came to my room in the hospital and apologized, saying he never meant for that to happen. He'd found her journals and realized how bad she was, and said he'd take care of medical and therapy bills. It was nice gesture, but I never want anything to with that family ever again."

Rachnee was silent, looking out over the water with a thoughtful expression. The silence dragged on for a few minutes, before Saul broke it.

"I found out who he was," he said quietly, his eyes red without tears. "The guy with the knife. Darren. He'd been one of Sarah's former pet projects…but he didn't find out about it, and she dumped him before she met me. He was obsessed with her, and when she wasn't watching me, he was. When her brother called on him, he saw it as a way to win Sarah back…by killing me."

He sighed deeply, turning his eyes skyward. "And the worst part? If I hadn't found out, if my sister hadn't come by…that might've been me. So fixated on her that I'd kill anyone who came near her." Saul squeezed his eyes shut, the face of the dead man flashing before his eyes. "That could've been me."

"…But it wasn't," Rachnee declared, turning to him with a fierce expression. "That wasn't you, and it never will be. And you know what? I'm glad. I'm glad he died, I'm glad she did that to you. And I'm sorry," she said, taking his face in her hands. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Saul, but I'm glad it did…because it means you came over here, you applied for the homestay and we met and I fell in love with you."

His eyes shimmered. "You still do? After that?" He asked nervously. "The last time I told someone about it…they called me a monster and ran away."

"Then they're an idiot," she said dryly, pulling him close. "The only monster I see is the bitch that caused all of that. A monster wouldn't have cried or feel regret for something they didn't mean to do. And most of all…" Rachnee kissed him gently, pouring all of her feelings into it. "…A monster wouldn't love me."

"And I do," he said softly, cupping her cheek. "So I guess that means you're right."

"Of course I'm right," she replied, poking his nose with a smirk, "I know it was hard for you to tell me, and that it dredged up some bad memories…so, I'm going to replace those with some good ones."

He opened his mouth ask a question, but was cut off when Rachnee pressed her lips to his and slipped her tongue inside. His arms came up to wrap around her, one of his hands brushing against the fringe of her hair as she slid into his lap. She grasped him by the shoulders and gently pushed him down onto the grass, distracting him with her tongue as she snuck a hand down his chest, quickly unbuttoning and unzipping his pants before dexterously wrapping her hand in silk and slipping it into his briefs.

Saul tried to sit up and speak, but Rachnee put a finger to his mouth and leaned in close, their eyes meeting. She said nothing, only nodding slowly. He licked his lips and held her gaze for a few long seconds, before nodding in return and laying back down. A soft smile curled her lips and she kissed him gently, her silk-wrapped hand pulling his rapidly-hardening length free, sucking on his neck as she stroked him to full arousal.

Rachnee shifted her hips and adjusted her skirt to remove the last obstacle, then lined him up and sunk down. She threw her head back and released a low, shuddering moan, her hands clutching his shirt as they fully connected for the first time. Saul gripped her rear tightly, his jaw clenched to muffle his groan. They were still in the park, after all.

His hands drifted up from her cheeks, gliding over the smooth planes of her back and her shirt with his fingers taking a gentle grip on her hair. They kissed again as Saul rolled his hips, making the most of the space he had to move, her heat and warmth encasing him with silken walls that clenched and fluttered around his length and driving him closer to the edge with every second.

Rachnee bit her lips, restraining the urge to clamp down on his neck and let her venom do its work so that they could stay in that position all day and instead drove her tongue through his lips to dance with his. Her lover shifted slightly underneath her, his hands falling to her hips to encourage more movement as he began to thrust more insistently. A pool of tingles and heat and grown down in her stomach, and it jolted and grew as he brushed against a certain spot inside of her; which he took note of and adjusted to hit it again and again.

Within a minute, Saul pushed himself deep as he could go and locked himself there, grunting his release as lights flashed behind his eyelids. A few seconds later, Rachnee clamped down around him, her hands clenching his shoulders as she moaned loudly into his mouth.

They stayed locked in their passionate embrace even after their orgasms faded, breathing heavily and lightly kissing between breaths. Then, Rachnee's arms gave away and she slumped onto her side, half laying on her homestay. "That, Honey, is something called, 'showing, not telling'," she teased, lightly rubbing his chest.

"As a writer, I can honestly say I've never heard of such a thing," he stated with a smile, leaning his head against hers. "But I _definitely_ like it."

"Oh, so you want more?" She asked, her eyes glinting as she licked her lips and stroked his chest.

"Yes," he replied bluntly, leaning up to kiss her. "But I think one count of public indecency is enough. Plus, we can be naked at home."

"Ooh, I like that idea," Rachnee purred, pushing herself to her feet and adjusting her skirt, before offering Saul a hand. She pulled him up and close, smiling as she redid his pants. "And there are different positions, too. Let's be quick, huh?"

"I'm on board with that," Saul said, wrapping an arm around her waist and hissing in surprise. He looked to his left and found his shirt and the skin of his shoulder were lined with thin cuts that bled slightly. "Huh. Funny, the things you don't notice when you're with the one you love."

Rachnee looked down at her hands, noticing that only her left hand had been wrapped in silk. The other was flecked with red. "Oh. I'm sorry, Saul, I didn't…"

"I know, sweetheart," he replied, taking her uncovered hand and kissing it. "I'm not afraid of a few cuts."

She spun a quick bandage and wrapped the minor wounds softly. "I'll treat you better when we get home."

Saul smiled and began to walk with her, shuffling a little bit at the stickiness in his pants. "I'd also grab a quick shower, too, just to get cleaned up. And then…well, the girls can handle themselves for the rest of the day, I think."

"Mhmm," she hummed in agreement, sighing contentedly. "Why didn't we do this sooner?"

"Because I'm a massive Drama Queen," he replied dryly. "Thank you for waiting, Rachnee, and for listening. I dallied over whether or not to tell you for a such a long time, it feels good to have the weight off my shoulders."

"Over-dramatic? Yes. Queen? That I can definitively say is wrong," Rachnee announced, her hand sliding down to pinch his butt. "The only queen here is me."

Saul chuckled lightly, bowing grandiosely. "Well, My Queen, allow this lowly peasant to escort you back to your castle."

She tilted his chin up, tracing her fingertip under his bottom lip. "Oh, you're no mere peasant, you're my king…or at least, my concubine."

"I can deal with that," he said after a second of thought, getting a light giggle from his lover. A few moments later, he pulled up short. "Um, Rachnee…"

"Mm?"

"Back there, when we…I came in you."

She laughed throatily, leaning in to whisper, "Oh, I know, Honey. I can feel it inside me," her tongue darted out and lightly licked his earlobe. "I'm going to need more before the night's out."

Saul cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I mean, I wasn't wearing protection, and I don't know about you, but I'm far from ready for children."

"Oh," Rachnee said, drawing back. "That won't be a problem. Arachne are only fertile one month out of the year, and that was two months ago for me. Besides, I hear protection takes away from the experience and I'm not fine with that."

Saul nodded in understanding and they continued walking. "Man, we're a lot farther away than I thought."

"Too far," she muttered with narrowed eyes, turning to look at him. "Would you feel embarrassed if I sped this up?"

"Rachnee, I grew up with two sisters," he replied dryly. "Nothing could ever top getting the sex talk from my mom while they sat next to me."

"Good point," Rachnee said with a shrug, reaching down and pulling him onto her back. His arms went around her stomach, his crotch pressed against her rear. "Hold on and side note: we're going to experiment with this position later."

With that said, she scuttled off, her eight long legs working furiously as they sped through the park. While it wasn't as fast Cerea could go, it was far faster than Saul could sprint on a good day.

Within two minutes, they were home and in the door, Rachnee dropping Saul so he could take off his shoes, parting with a quick smooch and hurrying up the stairs. He struggled to kick his shoes off but eventually managed and had one foot on the stairs when a voice called for him. "My Knight?"

Saul sighed inaudibly and turned to face Dina. "Yes?" he asked politely.

"How was your…date?" She at least tried to hide her disdain at the idea.

"It was very good but not yet over," he replied, walking up the stairs. "If you'll-"

"Are you going to… _mate_ with the Arachne?" That time, the Undyne didn't bothering hiding her feelings.

Saul sighed out loud. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. Already have and am going to again. Cheerio!" He hopped up the steps and made his way to the bathroom, passing Rachnee as he did. "That was quick."

She trailed a finger under his chin with a teasing smile. "I've got something to set up, so take your time getting clean…" Rachnee kissed him quickly. "Because I want to take _my_ time getting dirty again…"

The Arachne continued on her way with a wink, leaving Saul standing in the hallway. He shook himself and went back to walking with a mutter. "Like that'll make me want to go slow."

He locked the bathroom door and discarded his clothes, turning on the shower and stepping under before the water had warmed up. After a quick rinse, he reached for the soap and found it missing. A hand holding the soap rubbed against his back and Saul smiled. "Thought you went to our room…"

When he turned around, he found that it was not Rachnee holding the soap, but Suu, who burbled happily and started to soap his chest. The author blinked and stood still, allowing her to continue until she reached his groin and he jumped. "O-kay! I can handle it myself, Suu…" She ignored him and continued washing him with a smile.

When she was done, instead of pushing him under the showerhead, she collapsed into a puddle that seeped around his feet before rushing up his legs and engulfing his whole body. Suu swirled around him for a few seconds before flowing away and back into her human form.

Hunched over and shivering slightly, it took Saul a few seconds to recover, and when he finally did, he found himself completely clean and dry. "Umm…" he muttered, looking at a brightly smiling Suu. "Thank…you?"

The slime bounced happily and pointed at her cheek. He took the hint a pressed a brief kiss to her face, before wrapping himself with a towel and leaving for his room. He walked slowly, still somewhat stunned and feeling a bit odd…breezy, almost.

He stopped in the middle of the hall and opened his towel, looking down at himself. "She shaved me!" _I don't know how I should feel about that…_

The door to his right opened and out stepped Zombina of all people. Her mismatched eyes met his blue before trailing down his bare chest to his bared crotch, and she gave a wide, shark-toothed smile. "Well, hello~"

Saul quickly closed his towel and turned away, his mouth working soundlessly. "…Why are you here?" He finally managed.

Zombina pouted. "Hey, I wasn't done lookin'!" She protested, crossing her arms. "Smith was overseeing the room installation but had something else come up. She called me over to watch. Then I got bored, ate a sandwich, found this empty room, rubbed one out and took a nap. Nice day all around, and now it's lookin' to get better!"

"…What?" He uttered, stepping back as she slunk forward, a lavicious swing to her hips.

"Here's me, hungry for some hot flesh and what comes along but a nice, juicy piece of meat," Zombina licked her lips and circled him like a predator. "Not quite as girly-lookin' as I like, but I'm not picky." She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "You know what they say about undead…they give the best head."

Saul jumped as she nibbled on his earlobe. "Okay, I'm not comfortable with this," he said stepping away. "I didn't mean to flash you, it was an accident…and definitely _not_ an invitation!"

"Aww, really?" She asked with a pout. At his fervent nod, Zombina sighed. "Alright, fine. I can wait; I'm dead, what do I care? You already fell to Tio's charms, it's only a matter of time before you fall to mine." She slapped her butt loudly. "And my sexy ass! Later, Lover."

He sighed as she disappeared down the steps, only to jump when she popped back up.

"By the way…nice manscaping," she said with a wink.

Saul shook his head and quickly entered his room, taking a second to look at the "Do Not Disturb Under Penalty of Rachnee's Wrath" sign taped to the door before closing and locking it behind him. "Jesus."

"When I said 'take your time', I didn't really mean it," Rachnee announced from the bed. She had woven and hung several hammock-like slings from the ceiling, which allowed her to comfortably lay on her back. "Did you shave?"

The author felt his cheeks. "Not 'me', really…Suu was in the bathroom and she washed me…by sticking me inside her. That was…an experience." He rubbed his now hairless chest and grimaced. "I'm going to feel so weird for the next few weeks. Also, Zombina almost jumped me."

"…Why was she here?" the Arachne asked.

"I think Smith called her over after she got tapped for something else," he replied with a shrug. "But enough talking about other ladies and my almost being molested by a zombie…never thought I'd say that. Anyway, we were about to continue where we left off?"

Rachnee looked up, tapping her chin and still in thought. "We were? Oh, right!" Her expression turned sultry and she beckoned him towards her with a smile. "Step into my web, Honey, and get tangled up with me."

…

Hours later, the moon had risen, casting white light through the window and bathing the two naked forms on the bed. Rachnee was lying on her back with Saul's head on her chest, his arm wrapped around her stomach as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Rachnee?" He broke the silence, getting a quiet hum in return. "What do you want?"

"Well, my 'wants' are satisfied right now, but give me some time and I'll find a few more that need to be fulfilled," she answered, playing with the blond fringe of his hair.

Saul chuckled quietly, rubbing his cheek against her chest and listening the steady beat of her heart. "I meant for the future. What do you want to do? What do you want to be?"

She shrugged. "Don't know. I haven't really planned for the future or anything like that, I'm fine with the here-and-now. Maybe I'll come up with something sooner or later, but for right now…" Rachnee kissed the top of his head. "I'm happy being with you."

"I love you, too," he murmured, scooting closer to her and drawing the blanket up over them. "Maybe you could design clothes, for Extraspecies and humans? You could even make them."

"Hmm," she thought, "Maybe. Tio did ask me to make some clothes for her, since she can't find anything in her size and custom orders are too expensive. I'm not sure about _making_ clothes for other people, but I do like designing them."

Saul shifted and looked up at her, confusion on his face. "Why not? You've made clothes for me. Really good ones, too."

Rachnee smiled softly, tracing small circles on his cheek with her fingertip. "Yes, I like making clothes for you, because it means that no matter where you go or who you're with, a part of me is always with you."

He gave her a teasing grin. "And you call _me_ cheesy."

"That's 'cause you are," his lover replied, tapping his nose playfully, "I think it's adorable. And it's late, so let's talk about this later, okay?"

"Alright."

"Love you, Honey."

…

 **A/N: Hey, look at that, I actually updated after six friggin months. Sorry about that, but life hasn't exactly been conducive to writing lately. I'm looking for a job again, and last month I got the news that my grandma, who always encouraged me to write and was one of my biggest supporters, died suddenly.**

 **One day I'm debating on calling her, saying I'll do it tomorrow because it's late, then the next day, 'They found your grandma.'**

 **So yeah. It's taken me awhile to get back into writing. Between planning and traveling to the memorial, trying not to drown my sorrows and get a drinking problem and looking for work, I haven't had much time.**

 **But I'm back and gettin' into to it, so give me a little time.**

 **Speaking of, here's the next installment of Saul and Neseg, Gamers!**

…

 _Presenting the continuing Adventures of Saul, Neseg and Rachnee!_

"One more, one more, one more," Saul chanted under his breath, his controller clicking furiously as he mashed the buttons. "Come on! We got this!"

Their screens shook as the last bombs erupted and the giant form of Oryx shrieked, his health bar dropping to almost nothing. "Shoot him!" Rachnee shouted, her Warlock wildly firing a machine gun at the big glowing weak spot.

"Really? No shit," grunted Neseg, not looking away.

The screen was washed with white as Oryx roared and exploded, the victory message appearin as Saul and Rachnee cheered loudly, joined by the others over the headset. "That's right! Get dunked on, Oryx! Taken King, more like Taken _Bitch!_ Ha!" Saul threw up a hand for high-five.

Neseg leaned back, finally cracking a smile as he answered the gesture. "'Bout time!"

The author turned to Rachnee, who instead of a high-five, celebrated their victory by pinning him to a couch and beginning to enthusiastically make out.

"...Or you could do that," muttered Neseg, "Don't expect me to, though."

Saul gave him a silent thumbs'-up before giving his attention to the woman in his lap. A minute later, they separated with a pop. "Well now, we should do more Hard-Mode raids if that's how you react," he teased.

The Arachne licked her lips. "Oh, we're not done celebrating quite yet," she glanced at the uncomfortably shifting Devil. "But we'll get to that later, when we're alone."

"Oh yeah, we gotta get the loot."

"Oh right," Saul muttered, moving to the chest and cracking it open. "Ooh, some raid weapons, nice. And an Exotic!" He paused upon seeing which one it was, a sniper called No Land Beyond. "And an Exotic _Shard_. What'd you get?"

"Another Last Word," Rachnee grumbled, crossing her arms. "But, at least I got an upgrade to my arms. You want a drink?"

The author nodded in reply, turning to Neseg. "What'd you get?"

"Uh…" The Devil squinted at the screen. "Some kinda chest armor and a...raid cloak? What's that?"

"It's a unique cloak you can only get by completing the Raid," Saul replied, taking a look on his screen. "And it's an upgrade, too. Nice." He stretched his arms over his head and leaned back on the couch. "Well, after what seems to have been months of trying, we finally beat the King's Fall. What now?"

"What, in the game or in general? 'Cause if you wanna keep playing…"

"Actually, I meant more what you're gonna do," he clarified. "This is pretty much what I summoned you for, and now that it's done…I'm sure you've got important stuff to do in your universe."

"Oh yeah," grunted the younger man, scratching his head, "Right. Well, presumably you pay what you owe and I go home. However the hell that happens."

"What _do_ I owe, though? Money? Or like, something with sentimental value?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Actually, I have an idea that would cover both."

"Pretty sure money will do," confirmed Neseg.

Saul stood up and moved to his shelves of books, sliding one off shelf and handing it to Neseg. "It's a first edition of my first book," he explained, tapping the cover. "It's got sentimental value, but also if there's not a alternate-universe version of myself, you could republish it and make some money. Does that work?"

Neseg grimaced and shook his head. "I'd really rather not take it if it means something to you. I'm serious, summoning me to play a game can just be paid with a sum. Taking something like that just to make money off it…it just, leaves a bad taste in my mouth." He smiled wryly, then. "Besides, I'm a bit of an amateur writer myself. Never published anything and I haven't had any time to myself to keep it up, but I don't wanna take the credit for someone else's work."

"I didn't say you could plagiarize it," Saul replied dryly, "Just republish it. And I've got four of them on that shelf alone. And hey, maybe it'll serve as an inspiration, or at least a goal to meet." he shrugged. "If you really don't want it, I think I have some cash in my wallet."

It was almost amusing how uncomfortable the other guy got, shifting about, tail lashing behind him restlessly. "...If you insist, I'll take it," he said finally, "Technically it does make for the better contract. My King can probably find a way for me to get it into print."

Saul handed it off with a smile. "Here you go. And hey, maybe you can give it a read, tell me what you to think." He paused in thought. "Hey, what if you took some of my blood and made some kind of contract seal, like on the flyer? Maybe then you could summon me to your world?"

The Devil tilted his head and thought about that. "Hm. Definitely sounds like something worth looking into. Sure. I'll probably have to add it to the final, er, receipt or whatever."

"Well, whatever happens, it was good to meet you, Neseg," Saul held his hand out for a shake. "I've still got your flyer and there are plenty more Raids to do, and hopefully Destiny 2 in time."

"They're making a sequel?" asked the younger man in wonder, shaking hands, "Good grief. Feels like only a little while ago the first one came out."

"See you later, man. Good luck with your Harem situation!" Saul called as a light began to shine from the ground.

Neseg twitched, but waved back with a deadpan expression. "Thanks. I'll probably need it."

A red runic circle formed under his feet and traveled up, vanishing close to the ceiling and taking the young Devil with it. Saul sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his shoulders. "Nice guy."

Rachnee walked back into the room with an armful of drinks. "Did he leave?" She shook her head. "Dumb question, as I can see he's gone. Is he coming back?"

The author shrugged. "Probably. There are more Raids to do, and plenty of other stuff."

"Hmm," she hummed. "Alright. Nice guy, though a bit awkward."

"You know what isn't awkward?" Saul offered, stepping up and taking her in his arms. "Now it's just the two of us…you know what that means…"

"Co-op?"

"Totally!"

…

 **I hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading, and to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7. Give em a look and tell em Saul sent you! You won't get anything special for it, but hey, the thought counts, right?**

 **NS: Uuuuugh, I hate social activity.**

 **Right?**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: The whole thing with Sarah is actually a more extreme version of something that actually happened to my mom and me when we were younger. Married to that guy for twelve years and those were the most miserable of my life, I can only imagine what it was like for her.**

 **And with the guy dying…maybe I just want to remind you guys of how easy it is for someone to die? To just be there one moment and gone the next, when you least expect it?**

 **I don't know for sure.**

 **Cherish the ones you love and the time you spend with them. You never know when they'll leave.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


	16. And Then The Morning Comes

Saul closed the door softly behind him, padding away until he thought it was safe before breaking out into a long, relaxed walk; with the little pep of a man restraining the urge to skip and not quite managing it. He danced down the stairs to the kitchen and paused briefly upon noticing the coffee-maker blinking softly, with a mostly-full steaming pot of liquid caffeine sitting on the burner.

"How are you doing, Smith?" he asked instead, grabbing a mug and filling it up. "Been here long?"

The government agent, leaning against the adjacent counter with her cup to her lips, shrugged. "About twenty minutes," she replied, "I just wanted to check in after your date yesterday."

"I can guess that you already know how it went," said Saul, fixing his coffee and turning to face her. "But it went well; very well, actually."

"Good, good," Smith nodded, taking a sip. "I'd be careful about littering, though. And your choice of mochi was good."

The author sighed and rolled his eyes. "So you _were_ watching us, I was wondering what you got called away for." He grimaced and added more cream. "I _really_ don't need to know that I'm being watched, okay? Especially not that closely."

"You're lucky we were, or you'd be getting a fine for littering," Kuroko replied dryly, before peering at him over her sunglasses. "And _public indecency_ , because you had _sex_ in a _park!_ Seriously, why would you do that?"

He opened his mouth to rebuke her, before pausing and nodding. "Alright, you have a good point, but…there's a time to say 'no' and that wasn't it." Saul shrugged helplessly. "It was the right time- if not necessarily the right place."

"Got that right," she sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "It'll at least make the board happy. You and Rachnee made history, you know. The first interspecies couple to have sex, wouldn't your parents be proud?"

"My dad would be, sure, though I really doubt we're the _first_ -" He began.

"-First couple, _legally_ ," Smith clarified, sipping her coffee. "That's one for the history books."

"And this, children, is Saul Dewitt, first man to legally bang an Extraspecies woman," he said jokingly, stirring his drink. "Ms. Teacher, what's 'banging' mean?"

The agent let out a quiet chuckle before fixing him with a look. "Was that all it was to you, a 'bang?'" There was no accusation in her voice, only a slight hint of curiosity.

"No," Saul replied softly, "I'm not a fan of the phrase 'making love' because it gets bandied about by idiots so much, but that's the closest thing I can think of. She accepted my past and who I am, and, well, you saw the rest." He sipped his coffee, staring at nothing for a few seconds. Eventually, his eyes met Smith's. "Did I ever thank you?"

She glanced at him over her glasses. "For what?"

"I know the first thing you did was run a background check on me; you've known about what happened in America, but you've always treated me like a regular person, so…thank you, Kuroko." The author smiled warmly at her, his eyes soft.

Kuroko coughed quietly, playing with her stirring spoon and mumbling, "Well, you know, everyone has regrets and makes mistakes, and you looked like a good person-" A large hand covered hers, gently pulling the cup from her grip and setting it aside before she was engulfed in a hug. She stiffened for a second, before wrapping her arms around him and returning the embrace, releasing an inaudible sigh as her belly churned pleasantly.

"This is why no one takes you Americans seriously," she muttered, "you're all too touchy."

"…And there goes the moment," Saul sighed, pulling back. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'm not picky," Smith shrugged, watching him go about grabbing materials, snapping her fingers in remembrance. "Oh, by the way, Tio wanted me to remind you that she's coming to pick you up at noon, and that you should pack for the beach."

Saul paused mid-stir. "Right, she's taking me away for the weekend…forgot about that," he admitted. "I still don't know how she managed to get us to agree to that, only that it was painful trying to refuse her."

"Ah, she broke out 'The Look,'" the agent nodded knowingly. "Yeah, no one can refuse her when she breaks that out…unless you avoid eye contact or wear sunglasses. Usually she uses it to get an extension on her food budget, or to get the last piece of cake in the fridge. I knew she liked you, I'm just surprised at how much."

"Guess I'm just a lady-magnet," he replied with a shrug, "Maybe I'm lucky…or very _unlucky_. I've learned not to question these things, because I honestly don't know what's attractive about me. Besides my hair."

Smith chuckled but said nothing, passing him a carton of eggs and joining him by the stove to help make the food. They worked together in comfortable silence, cooking eggs, sausage and bacon with potatoes and peppers, setting a portion aside for the herbivore in the house.

A while later, the front door opened and the clopping of hooves on wood let them know that Cerea had returned from her morning run. The Centaur peered into the kitchen, wiping her sweaty face with a towel. "Good morning, Master, Agent Smith," she greeted, taking a drink from her water bottle. "Doth thou require any help?"

"Breakfast's almost ready and just about to be served up, if you could wake everyone up that'd be great," Saul replied, wiping his hands on a towel as he approached her with a smile, standing up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to her cheek. "How was your run?"

"It went well, Master," Cerea replied, flushing gently. "I do wish you would join me, though. While you are far from unfit, I still worry about your health."

"I'll give it a shot, alright? Next week, though, since my weekend is going to be occupied," he answered, rubbing her arm. "I don't like you being worried because of me, but I appreciate the thought."

The Knight grasped his chin gently and gazed at him with hooded eyes. "I am always thinking of you, Saul," she murmured, dipping her head and gently kissing him. A few seconds later, her eyes flew open upon remembering that Smith was in the room. With her face flaming, she fled with a babbled excuse and left them alone.

"So…" the agent began. "I'm guessing Rachnee convinced you to go with the whole, 'multiple partners' thing?"

"It's a work in progress," Saul shrugged, serving up hot scoops of breakfast onto plates. "On one hand, it's really hard to deny her…them. On the other, it's just all really weird. I doubt I'll ever get used to it."

She hummed in agreement and filled her arms with dishes, taking them out to the table with the author following behind her. As they set up the table, the other girls began to trickle in one-by-one. Yukio was first, pecking Saul on the lips with a sleepily-murmured, 'Beloved,' followed by Miia slithering in and giving him a chaste kiss; she was followed by Suu, who gave wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek; the slime was followed by Dina, who nodded at him without making eye-contact and demurely sat at the table.

Cerea joined them a minute later, half her face covered in white webbing. "Master, Rachnee did not take my presence well. Perhaps you are better suited to waking her this morning," she said calmly, her fingers twitching with the urge to rip the offending web off her face.

"Yeah, that would be safer for everyone," Saul sighed, poking her cheek. "It's just regular webbing, it'll dry up and fall off in a minute, okay?"

The author hung his apron on a hook before hopping up the stairs to his room. Pushing open the door and stepping inside, he found Rachnee right where he left her; sprawled out on the bed and snoring slightly. The blanket was draped over her stomach and her legs twitched with every snore, her chest rising and falling with every breath.

A tender smile came to his lips as he crept towards the bed, intent on waking her in a very intimate, romantic way. Lightly stroking her cheek, he leaned in and kissed her gently, whispering, "Rachnee…"

She didn't respond.

Saul kissed her again, and stroked her cheek a little more insistently. "Rachnee~..."

She snored lightly.

The author frowned and drew back. "Rachnee." He poked her face. "Rachnee." Poke. "Hey." Poke. "Rachnee." Poke. "Hey, Rachnee." Poke. "Wake up." Poke. "Rachnee." Poke. "Hey. Listen."

Rachnee groaned, her eyes flicking open to glare at him. "C'mon, why'd you go from trying to kiss me awake to poking me so fast? I was hoping you'd go from kissing to groping and eventually morning sex if I waited long enough, but no, you had to get impatient." She huffed, crossing her arms and turning away. A second later, she turned back and rolled over on top of Saul, pinning him to the bed. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to initiate it again."

He slipped a hand out and put a finger to her lips. "Rachnee, what Cerea and I came up to tell you is that breakfast's ready," he said. "And I don't know about you, but cold eggs are the worst."

She gave him a flat look. "Tell me about it," Rachnee muttered, tracing a finger down his neck to his chest. "You sure I couldn't get a quick…protein shake?"

"Potassium, actually," Saul replied factually, causing her to pause. "So, a more factual innuendo would be something along the lines of a banana smoothie, or a milkshake."

His Arachne lover pulled back, arching an eyebrow. "I get the feeling you don't want to have sex with me," she said slowly.

"Not so much that I don't, more that neither of us has had a shower yet," he pointed out. "And I wouldn't ask you to do what I won't. Which, in this case, is anything more intimate than a kiss." He leaned up a planted soft, short kiss on her lips.

Rachnee pulled back and sniffed herself, making a face. "Oh sweet web, you're right," she said, shaking her head to clear the scent. "Well, morning sex is out of the question. How about, after breakfast, we get clean in the shower, then get dirty again in the bath?"

Saul pecked her nose, smiling. "I was thinking the exact same thing," he replied, pushing himself up. He watched her get dressed before they left the room holding hands, descending down the stairs to find the others had started on breakfast. They'd barely taken a seat when Miia just about burst with questions.

"How was your date? Did you kiss? Was it good? Did you do more? How was it? What was it like? Was it good? I bet it was good, I mean it always feels amazing in my dreams…" She paused upon realizing what she just said and flushed deeply.

Rachnee smirked as Yukio looked up in interest along with Suu, while Smith and Cerea busied themselves with their food. Dinah scowled, willfully ignoring everything that was being said while restraining the urge to throw her fork at the Arachne. "Well, to answer your questions, our date was good, but not as good as what happened afterwards. Yeah, we kissed many, _many_ times and it was great, but again not as great as what happened later. And as for 'more', well…"

She glanced at the other end of the table and found Saul giving her a flat look. "I'm right here," he said, just as Dinah said the same. They shared a surprised expression before the Undine smiled beatifically.

Rachnee rolled her eyes before leaning close to whisper in Miia's ear. The Lamia's eyes widened before her face went red, her gaze flickering to Saul every few seconds while her blush intensified, despite her seeming to have reached critical levels of embarrassment. The others busied themselves with breakfast, at least until Miia gasped. "Really? You did _that_?!"

"Of course," Rachnee admitted proudly. "Turnabout is fairplay, after all, and there's the thing he does with his tongue…" She turned to the author and jerked her head at Miia. "Show her the thing."

Saul sighed and rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out and licking the tip of his nose, then the tip of his chin. "Are you done yet?"

The Lamia tilted her head confusedly. "I can do that too," she said, "I can lick my eyebrows."

"Imagine that inside…" The Arachne paused, wondering if she'd reached the limits of acceptable bragging.

Dinah delicately cleaned her mouth with a napkin before standing up from the table and leaving, trailing her hand over Saul's back and murmuring, "My Knight."

Smith coughed and checked her silent phone. "Oh look, I'm getting a call I need to take!" she exclaimed, hastily standing and putting to her ear. Then it rang loudly and Smith recoiled with an "Ow!"

Suu was ignoring the conversation in favor of poking her face with a long, blue tongue that was more like a tentacle, which she then reached over the table with to stick in Smith's abandoned orange juice and drink it up.

Cerea appeared to be trying to burn a hole in the table with her gaze, her cheeks red, while Yukio propped her chin up on her hands, her eyebrows perking up. "Go on…" she encouraged.

"Alright," Saul announced, pushing his chair back and gathering a few dishes. "Have fun with your gossips session, I'm going to wash the dishes. Suu, Cerea, can you help me?"

The cerulean slime jumped up and happily shoved most of the plates and silverware inside of her, while the centaur remained frozen in place, her eyes still locked on the table. Even after the author poked her a couple of times and received no response, he left her there and headed for the kitchen.

Dumping the dishes in the sink with hot water, he scrubbed and rinsed until they were clean, reaching a hand out to Suu for the rest. What he was given was a stack of dishes that were completely spotless, if a little damp. He quirked an eyebrow at her and got a innocent smile in return. "Huh," he muttered, rubbing her head at the base of her topmost tentacle. "I'm gonna give a quick rinse just to be safe, but thanks, Suu. You're just all sorts of handy, aren't you?"

She bobbed her head happily and pointed at her cheek. "Handy!" she chirped, giggling as he kissed her cheek.

Saul rinsed the dishes and set them out to dry, leaving the kitchen with an arm around Suu's shoulders. "I want you to stay out of trouble, okay? I'll be gone this weekend, and I don't want whoever watches over you guys being driven to insanity, so I'm trusting you to be your adorable self, okay?" she nodded enthusiastically and he kissed her other cheek. "Good girl. Now go have fun."

Suu skipped off as he stopped in the dining room, just in time to hear Miia gasp, "Is that even possible?!"

Rachnee winked conspiratorially. "Anything's possible with a good imagination and a generous amount of lube." She noticed him standing by the stairs. "Hey Honey, ready for that shower?"

Saul gave her a leery look. "Yeah, I'm ready to get clean."

As his lover stood join him, Cerea suddenly shouted, "My mind will never be cleansed of these visions!" before shaking her head and clearing her throat, "Excuse me, I meant to say that I will join you, Master."

The Arachne shrugged and took Saul's arm, leading him to the bathroom. "I'm fine with other people watching," she said, brushing her bangs out of her face. "And I mean that in every sense of the word."

They walked in silence for about five seconds before Saul spoke up. "I don't know what you were talking about and for my sanity, I don't _want_ to," he clarified, feeling Cerea give his arm an alarmed tug, "But I'm going to be clear: _Nothing is going up my ass._ "

Rachnee quirked an eyebrow. "Speaking from experience?"

He sighed. "An old girlfriend of mine slipped a finger up there once, and I wilted faster than any thoughts of grandma could ever accomplish. So yes, speaking from experience, our sex life will be rather short if you insist on shoving things ass-ward."

She shrugged and hummed. "Good to know, but that wasn't what we were talking about. I'll tell you later, when it won't make Horsey faint in shock."

"Thank you," Cerea replied stiffly, "Your kindness is truly astounding."

"I am quite magnanimous, now that I think about," Rachnee retorted as they entered the bathroom and she shucked her shirt off. "I'm letting you shower with me and Honey, and I'll let you watch when we fill the bath with suds without any bubble bath if you see what I'm saying."

"Hard not to," the Knight grumbled with red cheeks. "And what, exactly, makes you think I want to watch? Not everyone shares your…perversities."

"How else would you get to see such a magnificent cleavage as mine?" The Arachne retorted, fondling her chest.

"Please," Cerea snorted, crossing her arms. "If I wanted to view an amazing pair of breasts, I need only look in a mirror."

"Oho!" Rachnee's eyebrows perked up. "The herbivore's got teeth, who knew? We can agree that, of all the ladies here, we've got the best breasts, with Yukio a close third, but we're biased. Let's get Honey's opinion, hmm?"

She turned and opened her mouth, only to pause when she noticed that Saul wasn't still standing between them. He was actually standing under one of the shower heads, diligently washing his hair and humming under his breath. Both ladies shared a silent look of truce before joining their host in getting clean.

He left a moment later to fill the tub, just as Rachnee opened her mouth to ask for his help in cleaning her hard to reach places, and slipped in a minute later. He leaned back with a sigh, enjoying the relaxing warmth of the water, feeling it ripple and displace as the ladies joined him. Saul rested for a bit, before feeling a pair of eyes on him. "Yes?"

Cerea shifted away bashfully. "Tis nothing, Master, just a foolish-"

"Who's got better boobs?" Rachnee asked bluntly. The author opened his eyes and gave her a flat look. She smiled and put her hands on her hips, proudly baring her chest, while Cerea crossed her arms over her bosom and turned red. "Well?"

"That's like asking me if chocolate or vanilla ice cream is better," Saul replied dryly. "They're somewhat different, yes, like flavor, texture and such, but at their core they are the same. To be as frank as possible: They are boobs and boobs are good. It's more a matter of who's holding them that's important."

The Arachne frowned. "Okay, how about instead of going for the emotional part, just tell us which pair is better visually," she quickly darted forward kissed kim quickly. "I love you too."

He gave her a wink before turning his gaze on his knightly Centaur. "What do you want to do, Cerea?" He asked quietly. "You can always say 'No' and I'll accept it, you know?"

Cerea bit her lip but straightened up, dropping her hands. "Nay, Master, I do not mind having your gaze upon me; I welcome it, in fact." She fixed Rachnee with a dirty look. "Selfish as it may be, I also hope you judge me above Rachnera; she's been insufferably smug all morning."

Rachnee smirked smugly. "Well, I have good reason to be: I won."

"Getting in my pants wasn't a race," Saul interjected, his face deadpan. "Anyway, if you want me to judge, you'll have to stand next to each other so I can compare." _Asked to decide who has the best breasts? Man, my sister would be so jealous._

The two ladies shuffled through the water to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, the Arachne with her shoulders thrown back proudly and the Centaur mirroring the posture with an expression of rigid determination. The author rolled his neck before leaning forward, and propping his chin up on his hands, staring intensely at both sets of breasts before cataloging every detail he could find and comparing them to the other pair.

He jumped slightly as a thought occurred. _Christ, my life is just like one of those ecchi manga with the harems. Except that I'm not afraid to kiss or even make love, unlike most of them…this really should've occurred to me earlier._ Clearing his throat, Saul spoke up. "Alright, Rachnee's breasts are great, they're heavy and her nipples are the perfect shade of pink to go with her pale skin," the Arachne smirked, tossing her hair back. "But Cerea's breasts are amazing, too; they're both larger _and_ perkier, despite the rules of physics. They're both great."

Rachnee frowned, trading a dissatisfied look with Cerea.

"But!" Saul interjected before they could speak, "Rachnee does have the advantage."

His lover fist-pumped, letting out a triumphant, "Ha!"

The Knight's jaw fell open in surprise and disappointment. "But why, My Lord?!" She cried.

The author glanced away, feeling rather embarrassed. "Well, it's kind of a big thing, but, well…I've actually…touched Rachnee's breasts."

"Caressed, groped, fondled, kissed, licked, sucked," Rachnee listed on her fingers, "Any one of those would've worked just fine, but you went with 'touched'?"

He gave her a flat look. "Despite your best efforts, I still have a sense of embarrassment, y'know."

She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "Gotta try harder," she grumbled, before jumping as Cerea lifted her arms out of the water with a splash.

"Master!" She exulted, "In the name fairness and unbiased judgement, I declare that you must…! Feel…my bos…" Cerea trailed off, leaving an awkward silence.

"What?" He asked.

"Touch my bosom!" she replied a touch loudly. "I mean, it would help thou render a fair judgement…"

"Er, Cerea, I wasn't saying that I _should_ , just pointing out a fact," Saul said slowly, scratching his red cheek. "The last thing I want is to force you to do something you don't-"

"Saul!" Rachnee snapped sharply. "She _wants_ you to feel her up, and this is just a convenient excuse. Being all sensitive is just going to make it more difficult, so shut up and give Horsey a good groping!"

Cerea sent a blistering glare her way, but nodded in agreement. "Yes, Master, I want you to touch me," she waded over to him, gently taking his hands in hers. "I…I am not prepared to-to make…to go further; but I desire to feel thy hands upon my body, and to feel thy body in return…do you agree?"

Saul breathed deeply and nodded. "I do, Cerea."

Rachnee rolled her eyes at the deep gaze they were sharing. "This is what feudal hentai must've looked like," she muttered, drawing up beside them. "Before you get started with the fondling, Honey, can you sit up a bit higher?"

He sat up straighter, arching an eyebrow at her. "Like this?"

She shook her head. "No, I mean sit up on the edge of the bath." Saul moved himself up, putting his eyes level with Cerea's. "There you go. Now get to it, you crazy kids."

Cerea's hands tightened around his and with no further delay, placed his hands upon her bosom, gasping as his relatively cold hands grasped her sensitive flesh. The author gulped quietly and squeezed gently, whatever objective thoughts he could muster fading away at the sensation of her hot, soft skin, her dark pink nipples hardening against his palms and the breathy whimper she gave as he gently squeezed.

In the back of his mind- far, _far_ back -he noted that they felt firmer and smoother than he remembered Rachnee's being, but that was drowned out by _Wow, they're soft!_ And _Boobs!_ Followed by _I didn't_ _know she had a scar._

Saul leaned in closer to examine the thin silver line that extended from just below her collarbone to a few inches across the top of her left breast, sliding his hands under to lift them closer. His Knight quietly moaned as his breath brushed over her burning skin and tensed briefly as she felt something poking her stomach, which pulsed like it had a heartbeat.

Realizing what it was, she relaxed and groaned as her Master continued his examination but went no farther, lifting her hand and pressing gently on the back of his head. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her breast before doing the same to the other, leaving a trail downwards as his hands softly and rhythmically massaged her flesh. Her breath caught as his lips closed around her nipple, his slightly rough tongue pleasurably scraping over ultra-sensitive skin.

So lost in the sensations being given to her, Cerea barely noticed when a long, spindly hand pressed against her side, slowly shuffling her to the side with Saul unconsciously following and switching breasts.

She _did_ notice, though, when he tensed and squeezed her a bit roughly, her blue eyes shooting open before realizing she'd been moved. Looking to the side, Cerea found her former position had been filled by her fellow homestay, a head of lavender hair slowly bobbing on his length.

Rachnee paused on her ministrations and opened her eyes, glaring at the two staring down at her. "I didn't say you could stop…" She growled, baring her teeth.

Saul arched an eyebrow at her as Cerea frowned. The Centaur grabbed Rachnee by the back of the head and pushed her back down, filling her mouth with half his length. "Stop telling us what to do," she muttered, turning back to Saul. "Please, Master, continue…"

Instead of using his mouth, the author laid his cheek against the valley of her cleavage and closed his eyes. "Your heart," he murmured, "It's beating so loudly…"

"It beats for you," she replied softly, stroking his hair and cupping his cheeks as he pulled back to look at her, his eyes glittering with emotion. His arms went around her shoulders as they pulled together and kissed gently, separating for a second before meeting again passionately, their lips molding and shaping to the other as Cerea pressed down on him, to the point he would've fallen out of the tub if she hadn't wrapped her arms securely around him.

So focused was he on her lips that Saul was taken by surprise when her tongue slipped through his lips and tangled with his own; he'd thought her lips were hot, but her tongue was _scorching_ , like a tendril of molten rock that only added to the fire coiling in his belly until it burst outward. The only warning he gave was when he took a handful of Cerea's unbound blonde hair and the bucking of his hips as he filled Rachnee's mouth with his orgasm.

Stars went supernova behind his eyes, burning away the darkness of his eyelids and leaving behind a feeling of being replaced with cotton.

He opened his eyes to find Cerea staring down at him, her face creased in a warm, loving smile, her breath coming in shallow pants to match his own. Then, Rachnee's visage joined her, wiping traces of white from the corner of her lips and looking mightily pleased with herself. "So, Honey, not that you're unbiased…what's your decision?"

Saul groaned and slumped back, surprised his brain hadn't gone liquid and drained out of ears. "Saul Dewitt isn't home right now, please leave a message after the beep…beep."

…

The trunk of the black SUV closed with a final thump, locking Saul's bags away securely along with Tio's. It wasn't much, just a few changes of clothes along with his swim trunks and his laptop. They'd have to go shopping for food when they got wherever they were going, though the author didn't mind; it would give him a chance to try some of the local foods, and perhaps even cook some actual seafood for once.

The ladies were lined up by the car to send them off along with Smith, who had kindly agreed to watch the house while the host was away, with the promise that all the coffee she consumed would be replaced. Miia was the first to give her goodbyes, wrapping Saul in a tight hug and pressing a shy kiss to his cheek. "Please call me before you go to sleep," she said quietly, squeezing his hand. "This is the first time you'll be gone and I'm a little worried…"

"I'll try," he replied, patting her cheek. "I don't know if the place we're going has any cell reception, but I'll do my best to contact you before the night's out."

A pair of cool hands cupped his cheeks, followed by a chilled lips gently touching his. "Have fun this weekend," Yukio smiled, taking a step back and folding her hands, "When you get back, we should do something together."

"We should," Saul agreed, "Whatever you come up with, write it down and we can go over it then." Then he came to Smith, who was standing by Suu. "I doubt anything house-destroying will happen, but just in case it does, I have faith that you'll handle it well."

Smith adjusted her sunglasses with a smirk. "Of course I will, I can handle anything," she stated confidently.

The author gave her clueless look. "What? I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Suu," he rubbed the slime's head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't forget to drink plenty of water and eat healthy, okay?"

Suu nodded and turned to the Agent, giving her an undeniably smug smile. "Handy," she said happily.

With a deadpan expression, Smith turned on her heel and walked off. "Yeah whatever, have fun. Or don't, I don't care."

Cerea was nervously playing with her fingers, cracking her knuckles every so often as if she wished to grab her sword and don her armor. "Please be safe, Master," she nearly pleaded, "I don't like the idea of you going somewhere you've never been with a stranger."

"Tio's no stranger, Cerea, and you saw what happened in the doujin shop," he pointed, taking her hand and squeezing it. "She busted through a concrete wall like it was nothing, so I'll be safe in her hands…as long as I'm not literally _in_ her hands, I'll be fine. You're sweet for worrying, but try to relax this weekend, okay?"

She nodded tightly. "Yes, Master, I will try. I agree with Miia, though, please call before bedtime. I…would like to hear your voice before I sleep." She hugged him firmly before kissing his cheek. "I will be thinking of you, Saul."

"Pfft," Rachnee scoffed, grabbing Saul by shoulders and pulling him close. "That's not how you say goodbye," she muttered, kissing him fiercely and quite loudly, too, with a few salacious moans thrown in for good measure. " _That's_ how you say goodbye," she finished, emerging with pop.

His face red, Saul coughed into his hand. "Alright, well, time to leave," he said hastily, opening the car door and stepping inside. As he buckled up, Smith leaned in through the window.

"I don't want to tell you what to do, but you need to take Dinah out," she murmured, peering sternly at him over her sunglasses. "The hostility she has for Rachnee and Cerea is becoming a problem and it's just getting worse."

Saul looked over her shoulder at Dinah, who was staring forlornly at him through a window, and gave her a little wave. Her shoulders slumped and she disappeared back into the house, shooting a dark glare at Rachnee as she did. "Yeah, I know," he sighed, scratching his smooth chin. "I'll think of something to do, but she's got to understand that I _might_ be a reincarnation, I'm _not_ the Knight she fell in love with."

"Good luck with that," she said dryly, before smirking. "Oh, by the way…" When he turned to look at her, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You didn't think you were getting away without one from me, did you?"

He gave her a flat look and rolled the window up, getting a giggle from the agent as Tio stuck her arm out of the driver's side window and waved. "Bye everybody!" she called, "See you soon!"

The ladies waved and shouted their goodbye's as the SUV pulled away from the house and hit the road. "Have fun!" Rachnee called, her hands cupped around her mouth. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do! Which doesn't exclude anything! _Anything!_ "

They watched as the car grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing into the ripples of heat radiating off the road. One by one, the ladies went back into the house, leaving Rachnee and Cerea still on the sidewalk.

"I'm surprised you aren't jealous," the Centaur admitted with hint of grudging respect. "It's very mature of you."

"Huh?" Rachnee gave her a confused look. "Of course I'm jealous. It took me months to get him in bed, and she's just gonna do it in a weekend! It's almost enough to give a girl confidence issues…and don't pretend you aren't jealous, too."

Cerea crossed her arms and pointed her nose in the air. "I may be envious, but I'm mature enough to miss him for him, and not as a bedwarmer." She paused, biting her lip. "I apologize, that was needlessly cruel."

"Just because I enjoy having sex with him doesn't mean I don't love Saul as a person," the Arachne said lowly, her multiple eyes narrowing. "And I'd thank you to not bring it up again."

"I know, I'm sorry," she mumbled, scratching her cheek embarrassedly. "It's just the way you go on about it…"

"Hmph," Rachnee scoffed, "Whatever." She clapped her hands. "Now, have you thought of positions you and Saul can take? I mean, naturally there'll be some difficulties, but that's nothing a bit of light bondage can't fix!"

"You…you Wench!"

…

Saul sighed, leaning back against the seat. _On the road,_ he thought, stretching his neck. _Might as well settle in._ He glanced at Tio and blanched. "Jesus, Tio!"

The sweet Oni gave him a confused smile. "What is it, Sweetie?"

"Are you okay?" He asked slowly. All seven foot five of sweet red oni was crammed into the driver's seat, and even with the seat pushed as far back as it could go her knees were still pushing up against her chest and she had to duck to see out of the windshield. It reminded him somewhat of a giraffe stuffed into a clown car. "You're…kinda crammed in here."

She waved him off with a giggle. "Oh no, I'm fine! Being as tall as I am and as short as most people are, I've gotten used to it. I'll definitely need to stretch later, though."

"Are you sure?" Saul questioned worriedly, peering over his shoulder into the back of the car. "We could fold the back seats down, trade spots and that should let you stretch out. I can drive and you can give me directions."

"It's alright, Sweetie, really!" Tio replied cheerfully. "I might take you up on that on the way back, though."

"Okay, just let me know if it gets to be too much," he let the conversation die gracefully. "So, how long is the drive?"

"About four hours," she said with a shrug. "It's out of the way, but there's a cute little town nearby where we can get food. They have this little bakery that makes the _best_ cookies in the world!"

Saul smiled at her enthusiasm. "Well, we'll have to make a stop in there and get some," he replied, folding his hands in his lap and letting the silence build.

They sat in complete silence, except for the growling of the engine, for around twenty minutes before Tio spoke up. "I'm glad you came with me," she said quietly. "I know I kinda sprung it on you, but I'm happy you accepted."

"No problem, Tio," Saul nodded, giving her a smile. _I think it might've literally killed me to say no, but whatever._ He tilted his head back and unleashed a jaw-cracking yawn at the roof. "I'm still a little tired from last night; do you mind if I grab a nap?"

"Go ahead, Sweetie," she chirped, reaching over and patting his knee. "I'm gonna turn the radio on, but I'll keep it low."

The author hummed in agreement, leaning his head back and getting comfortable in his seat, closing his eyes and sinking into the darkness. It was less like sleep and more like meditation, less turning off the computer and more disconnecting from the wi-fi. A few sounds and sensations slipped through to his mind, but most were ignored and swiftly set aside in favor of blackness.

Faintly, he heard Tio quietly singing along with one of the new songs by an all Extraspecies Idol-group called ANM48. It was quite catchy, naturally, but the author preferred something with a little more rock or a little more electronica. _She's got a sweet voice,_ he thought briefly, before it was lost in the roiling misma of darkness.

The tendrils of his consciousness returned to his body as the car slowed to a stop, and Saul blinked as he opened his eyes. They were at a rest stop, a pair of squat stone buildings and wide picnic area covered by a scattering of verdant trees. "Hey Sweetie," she greeted him with a slightly uncomfortable smile. "I wanted to get there without any stops, but I really need to use the bathroom."

He yawned briefly, checking the time as he did. "Yeah, I could use a potty break, too," he muttered, stretching his neck. Sitting in the same position for a couple of hours would leave one with some stiff muscles, after all.

Saul watched as Tio pulled herself out of her seat and was briefly surprised when she didn't make the sound of an emergency raft suddenly inflating. "Be right back!" She chirped, skipping to the bathrooms.

He followed after her and emerged a minute later, feeling relieved and hungry. The author bought a couple packages of rice balls and some cold tea for a snack, before thinking critically and buying a few more rice balls and some pineapple-flavored Kit-Kats. If _he_ was hungry from doing absolutely nothing, then Tio would be starving. He planted himself in the shade of a tree and ripped open a wrapper, taking a hearty bite out of a rice ball and humming. _Tuna and pickled ginger. Not bad._

The oni ducked out of the bathroom and stretched, sighing happily until her stomach rumbled and reminded her that lunch had been four hours ago. She spotted her travel companion waving at her and walked to him with a skip in her step, flopping down next to him and accepting a rice ball with a smile. "Thanks, Sweetie!" She said around a mouthful of food, leaning back on an arm and enjoying the breeze.

As she ate, Saul took in her clothes. It had been hard to see with her all scrunched up, but Tio had gone with a pair of what most would call short-shorts and a pink halter top, much like he'd seen Rachnee wear. He'd mostly seen her in long dresses or her EON combat gear, and with less coverings he could clearly view her arms and legs, which were toned and muscular, but not overly so; despite being able to flip the car they were driving with a little effort.

"-eetie. Sweeti, can I have another one?" He was drawn from his staring by her voice, which made him jump in embarrassment.

"Oh, right…" he handed her another rice ball with a sheepish blush. "...Sorry."

She smiled shyly, glancing away with dark cheeks. "…I don't mind," Tio murmured, hiding her face in her food.

"Still, it's kind of rude," Saul rubbed the back of his neck. "You'd think I'd learn after all this time, but no."

"Well, when we get there, I'll stare at you," she replied with a small smirk. "Would that make you feel better?"

He shrugged, unable to contain a grin. "That would be fair, since I'm wearing pants right now."

Tio shoved the remainder of her snack in her mouth and hopped to her feet. "All the more reason to get there quickly!" She chirped, taking one step before falling back down, clutching her leg and hissing. "Ah! Cramp! Cramp! Owowowow!"

"Here, let me see," Saul said, pulling her leg onto his lap and testing her calf with his fingers. The muscle was rock solid and occasionally pulsing in time with the quiet sounds of discomfort from the oni. "Don't try and stretch it right now, just relax."

She leaned back on her elbows and tried to do as he said, though the occasional pain set her back. His hands rubbed up and down her leg, carefully massaging the cramped muscle and coaxing it into loosening up with every pass. "It's getting better," she reported, wiggling her toes slowly. "I think I'll need your help for a little bit longer, though."

The author chuckled and continued his ministrations for a few minutes longer. "I'm surprised you didn't cramp up sooner, what with you being crammed in the car like that," he said, patting her leg and setting down. "Sure you don't want me to drive?"

"If it means you'll massage my leg again, then yes, I'm sure," she replied with a teasing wink, getting up and stretching. "Aah, that feels so much better! Thank you, Sweetie!"

"No problem," he said, stretching his arms before they got back into the car. "Mind if I hook my phone up and play some music off of it?"

"Sure thing," she nodded, rolling her neck before carefully stuffing herself in the driver's seat. Within a minute, they were back on the road as the soothing sounds of an Australian man singing about Australia came out of the speakers. "Who's this?"

"Men At Work, one of the best bands ever," Saul replied, smiling as he whistled in time with the flute solos. "You like?"

"Mmhm," Tio hummed, bobbing her head to the beat. "I've never heard of them, but they sound good."

"Well, it's a good thing I have their entire discography," he made himself comfortable and sighed. " _I said do you speak-a my language? He just smiled and gave me a vegemite, sandwich…_ "

…

The sun had just about set when they pulled through a dense copse of trees, emerging into the dying light on a narrow dirt road that led to small wooden cabin. Ten feet away from the door, the hard-packed dirt crumbled into soft sand that was nearly white, with a stone firepit in between the cabin and the dark waters quietly gently lapping at the shore.

Tio popped out of the car with a relieved sigh, basking in the remnants of the sun. "We're here, Sweetie!" She called happily, cracking her back with a groan. "It's too bad it's too late for a swim."

Saul joined her overlooking the water, taking a deep breath of the fresh, salty air. "I love the smell of the ocean," he told her, a small smile on his lips as he took it in. "I love the sounds, too."

"So do I," the oni said quietly, watching with him as the sun sank under the horizon. Just when the atmosphere had reached its peak, her stomach grumbled loudly. "It makes me hungry, too. My sister was the last one to use it and she knew I was coming, so she should've left some food in the fridge. I'll grab the bags and you can start on dinner; how's that sound, Sweetie?"

"Sounds good," he replied, taking the offered keys and unlocking the door. Stepping inside, he found it to be much larger than at first glance. Tio's family had been using it for a long time, so naturally it would be fit for a family of oni to get comfortable in, though it made Saul feel as if he'd lost six inches of his height. Besides a couch that could fit eight, there was a white wicker chair and coffee table, with a large flat screen TV attached to the wall. In fact, all of the appliances were very modern, clashing somewhat with the humble wood surroundings.

The fridge contained a half-empty jug of milk, three containers of take-out and nothing else. He grabbed the take-out and piled a mixture of yakisoba, teriyaki and fried rice into two bowls that he shoved in the microwave and set to cook. Tio stepped in a minute later, both of his bags in one arm while she carried her suitcase with the other, along with a closed paper bag that Rachnee had handed her before they left.

"Do you want to watch a movie while we eat?" He called, taking the dishes out and stirring them before popping them back in. "I've got a whole library on my laptop!"

"Sure!" She called back. "Anything you want to watch is fine!"

With the food cooling on the coffee table, Saul knelt next to the TV, connecting his laptop to it and scrolling through his library, eventually settling on Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. As far as movies went, it was pretty good; there was violence, romance and drama in equal measure, but stylized and fairly funny.

Tio plopped down on the couch as the opening logos rolled by, with Saul joining her just as the narration started. She found the movie just delightful, giggling happily at the comedy and glaring at the antagonist. It was one of Saul's favorite movies, though he personally thought Scott Pilgrim was an ass and if he'd been in his place, he wouldn't have cheated on Knives, let alone Kim. Then again, if he was in Scott's place, a lot of things wouldn't have happened, so it was a moot point only to be brought up in quiet moments or in fanfiction, if he ever got around to updating.

By the time the credits rolled, they'd long since eaten and slumped together in the middle of the couch, but neither were sleepy enough to want to go to bed. "Let's watch another," Tio murmured, her cheek resting atop his head. "But this time, a real romance. That one was good, but it could've been done better."

Saul furrowed his brows in thought. _Should I show her…_ that _movie? The one I've never told anyone about, not even my sister? Not even Rachnee? The only who knows is my mother, and that's because she introduced me to it._ "Alright, I have one, but…" he licked his lips nervously. "You can't tell anyone about…or, more specifically, that I watch it."

Tio sat up and gave him a strange look. "Alright, I promise I won't tell anyone. Why, though?"

"Because this movie isn't just _any_ romance movie," he replied, his voice thick with passion. " _This_ is the romance movie I watch to remind myself that romance can be done _right_. You have to see it for yourself to understand."

Saul got it started and sat back down, but instead of melting against her like before, he sat ramrod straight, staring at the screen so intensely Tio thought it might burst into flame. By the time ten minutes had passed, she was doing the same.

…

As the movie ended, the author blinked and sighed, rubbing his tired red eyes. He wasn't afraid to admit that the movie drove him to tears every time he watched it, nor that it was possibly one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. But, as beautiful as it was, the emotional weight and drama felt as tiring as clinging to a pole in the middle of a hurricane.

Looking down, he found Tio with her head on his chest, sleeping soundly. Saul wasn't surprised; he'd done the same the first time he watched it. It was close to midnight now, and as comfortable as he was, the bed called to him with a sweet siren song of sleep and silence. Plus, Tio was already sore from the drive over, compounding that with a night on the couch would leave her in serious need of a visit to the chiropractor.

Carrying her was out of the question, and left with no other options, he reached up and stroked her cheek. "Tio," he whispered, "Tio, wake up. We need to get to bed."

"Mmmurrggh…" she groaned, rolling slightly. "D'wanna. S'eep now. Bed lader…"

"Tio, if you don't get up, we won't be able to go to the beach tomorrow," he reasoned, playing with an exposed ear. "And then we won't get to go swimming or make a campfire…or make s'mores…"

With annoyed grunt and a bit of effort, Tio pushed herself up and peered at him groggily. "Not fair," she mumbled rubbing her eyes. "Let's go to bed then."

She leaned heavily on him as they walked to the bedroom, yawning widely as they entered it and stepping away from him, peeling her top off and dropping it carelessly, revealing that she'd gone braless the whole day. Saul dutifully looked away as she stepped out of her shorts, taking off his shirt and trading his slacks for a pair of loose sweatpants, pausing as he turned around. "Ah, Tio?"

The oni, who'd just gotten comfortable under the covers, lifted a lid and peered at him with a glazed orange eye. "Wha?"

"There's only one bed, and I didn't bring a sleeping bag," he pointed out. _I really should've realized this earlier._

"That's 'cause we're sharing, silly," she mumbled, lifting the blanket and not caring even slightly that doing so showed him her bare breasts. "Stop makin' it awkward and come sleep with me."

Saul shrugged and slipped under the covers, settling down into the soft sheets. _It'd be weird sleeping by myself after all those nights with Rachnee,_ he reasoned, closing his eyes. He stiffened slightly as Tio reached out and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him and rolling onto her back so that he was mostly on top of her, his head resting against her chest.

"G'night, Sweetie," she murmured, snoring a second later.

"Night, Tio," he whispered, letting sleep roll in and take him away in the arms of the sweet red oni.

…

…

…

 **A/N: Fuck's Sake, I finally updated something! GOD! Do you know how irritating it is, having so many ideas that you can't focus on one? I've been bouncing between stories like a bouncy ball fired out of a shotgun! Into a bouncy castle. On the moon. It's like writer's block, but somehow worse. Like, I'm so close but I just get cut off before I can finish!**

 **Writer's Blue Balls? Writer's Blue Block? Something vaguely sexual, definitely.**

 **Anyhow, I finally finished something, and I'm off to work on Chapter 2 of Old Soldiers. After that, maybe Kindred Shadows, maybe a little Savior, Destroyer, but my end goal is to fucking finish Still Not A Hero! I said I'd finish it friggin months ago, and since I've failed at that, I swear here and now on my fucking account that I will finish it before the year is up!**

 **I swear on my honor! My life! My family! My Xbox! My coffee! And most of all, my alcohol!**

 **You will see the end if it kills several small kittens!**

 **Well, maybe not** _ **you**_ **, if you don't read Still Not A Hero.**

 **Alright, now that I'm done being an overdramatic ass, let's get to the real notes. The guy who makes MonMus, you can definitely tell where his attention lies when drawing the ladies: Faces, boobs, butt and hips, along with the thighs. The arms and legs tend to look like linguini in my opinion, so in this case Tio's got more muscle on her, but not a gross amount. I like strong ladies, if you can't tell.**

 **Big thanks, as always, to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7 for their help in getting this all together, and also to Chris and Austin as well! You know who you are; hit me up on Xbox so we can play, yo.**

 **I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one. In the next one, Tio and Saul spend time soaking up sun on the beach and getting to know each other a little more intimately…not in that way, creeps.**

 **There may have been sex and there will be more sex, since healthy relationships involve a good amount of sex, but this is still, first and foremost, a romance story. There's a fine line between romance and smut, and I like to think I tapdance on that line. I can't tapdance all that well, so I may stumble into one or the other every once in awhile, but I'm getting better all the time.**

 **Stay Awesome.**

 **~Soleneus**

 **P.S.: No Omake for you, since both me and NorthSouth feel that, until Saul visits Neseg in Waking Dreamer, there's not much else to do, yet. But it will return eventually, I can promise that.**

 **If you have an Xbox and you want to play Halo, Titanfall or Overwatch with me, hit me up on Live! The name's the same, so you should have no problem finding me.**

 **Stay Awesome Some More.**

 **~still Soleneus**


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